


Lily Potter and the Villain in the Valley

by GC_Maisie



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-01-25
Updated: 2019-07-03
Packaged: 2019-10-16 00:27:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 45
Words: 122,059
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17539220
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GC_Maisie/pseuds/GC_Maisie
Summary: The schooldays of Lily L. Potter, who will one day become a uniting force for the magical world. Lily overcomes all manner of trials to find her place in a wizarding world which expects so much of the daughter of Harry Potter but which is not yet accustomed to her own peculiar but very powerful way of doing things. At the heart of her story is a villain named Josephus Durer who Lily encountered as a child but who has since been locked away in Azkaban.In this story there will be new magical diseases, new curses, lots of dueling, new tournaments, new enemies and new forms of magic, not to mention answers to questions that were left open in the original books.





	1. The Villain

It was an unusually cold winter evening in the small wizarding village of Thiramard. During the summer months the village is full of colour and life as its inhabitants fill the cobblestone streets; shopping, strolling, playing. On this evening however there was not another sole to be found and the clouds hung low in the valley. This suited Josephus Durer just fine. He had considered avoiding the village streets altogether but on a day like this it seemed to him that he would appear a more suspicious sight if he were to be seen walking over the hills through the farmland, for who on their right mind would take a stroll on a day such as this. Besides, though he did not know the address, he was in search of the most famous inhabitant of this village, perhaps the most famous wizard in all the magical world and it seemed the best way to find him would be to find the largest, most expensive looking house in the area. He was having trouble however as all the homes in Thiramard, whilst well-kept and pretty, were rather quaint and humble. He had looped around the small village several times and of all the houses, the most promising was a tall but slender three story whitewashed one with red tiles on the roof and a lily pond out the front. The house sat on a hill high above the village, overlooking the valley. Durer could make out a number of brooms set on racks on the outer walls, indicating that either a quiddich fanatic or a rather large family lived there. Or perhaps both.

As Durer made his way out of the valley and up the hill a harsh wind riped through his hair, painfully chilling his ears. He felt a shudder down his spine as he considered what might happen if this was indeed the house he was looking for. Durer knew this was the last place he should be, the last place anyone would expect him to be. But he also knew that he must speak with Harry Potter.

As soon as he arrived at the small wooden front door he was instantly confident that he had found the right place; there were several strong shielding charms preventing him from stepping close enough to the door to knock. This was a house that only the invited may enter. Whilst he was certain that Potter would not allow him past the threshold, he felt he had no choice but to attempt to speak with him. Though he had of course never personally met the great Harry Potter he had heard that he was a just man and hopefully that would be enough to impel him to, at the very least, listen to what Durer had to say before Potter did what he was bound to do; send him to Azkaban.

The thought of Azkaban made Durer's voice come out in a horse whisper.

'Mr Potter' he called weakly to the door.

Gathering his courage, he yelled desperately.

'MR POTTER!'

The only sound in response was the whistling of the wind. He had come all this way, risked so much just to find an empty house. But of course, he smiled wryly to himself, though it was a Sunday evening, the ministry had been put on high alert in search for what they feared was the most violent, disturbed wizard they had seen since He Who Must Not Be Named. Potter must be out somewhere else hunting for him. But Durer did not want to meet Potter when he was in the company of dozens of other aurors. He wanted a chance to talk with him alone.

He would have to wait; to hide somewhere outside the house until Potter returned. The feeling of exhaustion that Durer had been fighting for the last few days suddenly overwhelmed him at the thought of more hiding in the dark. The ground was still wet from last night's storm and his clothes were all but wet rags from all the time he had spent sleeping in forests. Even still he pulled them tighter around himself and let his legs give way behind a small shed at the back of the house. He sat leaning against the tin wall, allowing himself the liberty of closing his tired eyes for just a few moments.

When he opened them again, he started in surprise, hitting his back noisily on the tin. Staring out of the grass in front of him was a pair of small bright emerald eyes.

'Aren't you cold sir?'

It was the voice of a young girl. Durer blinked the dew out of his eyelashes and peered over at her. He could make out a freckled nose and some strands of deep red hair falling over her tiny face.

'Yes' He answered in a small, coarse voice.

He could not think of what else to say and was trying to decide whether it would be best to run.

The small girl stood up from where she had been crouched down in the grass in front of him and he could see that she was very young indeed. Perhaps four or five years old. Her deep red hair seemed like it would normally come down past her shoulders but it was in such a knotty mess, with strands of grass sticking out here and there that it did not quite make it down that far. She was wearing a blue tartan dress which she seemed to have gotten incredibly muddy somehow. Her little white socks were stained with flicks of mud and great slops of it stick to the bottom of her sandals.

'Why are you sitting there then?' She asked curiously.

Durer had intended to lie. He had thought to say he was a lost traveller, but as he looked into those strikingly green eyes, he felt the truth slip from his mouth.

'I'm waiting for Mr Potter to come home… I want to speak with him'

'You want to talk to daddy?' The little girl's eyes studied him uncertainly.

But of course, Durer thought. This must be Potter's daughter. His youngest child. She had the same eyes as her father. Durer had seen photos of these eyes in the Daily Prophet but they were far more striking in the flesh.

'It's very important' Durer said to her in earnest.

Her small freckled face gave nothing away as she continued to stare at his face as though trying to read something. There was a long pause in which Durer hung his head and reflected on the danger of what he was doing in talking to Potter's daughter.

'Alright'

Durer looked up in surprise as the little girl came towards him. She took his rough hand in her little soft one and pulled him towards the back door of the house. Durer was in shock at the contact. He could not remember the last time he had spoken to someone, let alone was touched by them. He was suddenly painfully aware of the damp odour of his clothes and the sticky sweaty feeling of his skin. Potter's daughter appeared unfazed by either of these things however as she stood on the tip of her toes in order to reach up to and turn the back-door knob.

The pair walked uninhibited through the doorway. Durer noted in astonishment that the small girl's congenial welcome into her home seemed to have disabled all shielding charms.

'We have to take off our shoes' the girl said with a look of distaste on her face as though she had been taught to do so by her parents but was not entirely convinced about the necessity of the rule. Durer nodded in silence and the unfamiliar feeling of a smile took hold of his face as he placed his sodden boots next to her sandals. Though he had been living in the wild for weeks, the dirtiness of his boots was no match for the slathering of mud, insects and grass clippings which she had somehow seemed to collect through one morning of adventures in her garden.

Within a matter of minutes Durer was sitting comfortably covered in blankets in a chair at Potter's kitchen table with a hot mug of English breakfast in front of him. He watched the small girl bring over a rather large, lumpy chocolate cake on a glass cake stand through the wafts of steam coming from his mug.

'We can have this sir, because you are a guest' the knotty haired girl explained defensively. Durer chuckled to himself; perhaps this was why she was so willing to let in a stranger.

After carefully cutting two enormous slices and placing one on a saucer in front of Durer, Potter's daughter sat on the chair opposite him slowly shovelling forkfuls of cake into her tiny mouth whilst watching him.

Now that he was warm and comfortable for the first time in weeks, Durer reluctantly let his guard down. The logical part of his mind knew he was still very much in danger but the combination of exhaustion from his time on the run and the charm of the little red-haired girl slowly covering her mouth with smudges of chocolate icing forced a wave of relief to wash over him. The girl seemed content in silently staring at him but Durer, who was on the brink of falling into a peaceful slumber upright on the chair broke the silence to keep himself awake.

'What's your name?'

The girl waited until she had finished slowly and carefully devouring the forkful she had started before answering; 'Lily, sir'.

Durer waited expecting her to return the question to this stranger she had taken into her house but she continued munching away, silently examining his face.

'Do you like chocolate Lily?' Durer asked, for lack of anything else to say, taking a fork to his own piece.

Lily nodded, taking a sip of tea.

'Daddy makes excellent chocolate cakes' she said fondly.

Durer's fork froze mid-way to his mouth as he realised he was eating a cake made by Harry Potter of all wizards.

'Mr. Potter made this?'

Lily nodded again unfazed by the incredulousness in his voice.

'Daddy is good at making cakes. Even James eats them and he usually doesn't eat sweeties'

'James?'

'My silly brother'

'And where is your brother?' It dawned on Durer that they may in fact not be alone in the house.

Lily shrugged 'We were playing outside but he flew off to see John'.

'…and the rest of your family?'

'Albus has gone with mummy to visit grandma and grandpa'

Durer was relieved. So all of the family was out of the house. He could only hope that Mr. Potter would be the first to return.

'Daddy is off looking for a very bad wizard' Lily offered.

Durer stared at her with weary eyes. Did she recognize him after all?

'Oh and Te-' Lily began.

'Do you know who I am Ms. Lily?' Durer cut her off.

'No sir. Do you work with my daddy?'

'no… not quite' Durer hesitated; he had not decided how he would explain himself.

'Oh!' Lily exclaimed in excitement, 'Do you work at Hogwarts?' she dropped her fork and leant forward wide eyed, both hands on the table.

'No…' Durer admitted, finding it difficult to lie on the spot to such a small child and yet knowing he must come up with some kind of cover.

'But did you go to Hogwarts? When you went to school sir?' Lily seemed to have completely forgotten the subject at hand in her excitement.

'yes-' Durer chuckled, relieved she had changed the subject.

'and which house were you in sir? Did you go to Hogsmeade on the weekends? Did you play quiddich? Which position?' a waterfall of questions poured out of Lily's mouth.

'Ravenclaw. I would say so and no, you aren't too fond of flying are you Durer?'

Lily and Durer spun quickly around in surprise to where Harry was standing in the kitchen doorway, his wand raised and with a terrified looking Teddy holding on to his trouser leg.

'Daddy!' Lily exclaimed. 'Don't be cross, we only had a little piece each'.

'Lily, get out of the kitchen now' Harry's commanded her.

Lily, who was not used to hearing a stern tone from her father gave him a sulky look and pushed her cake-smudged plate away as she got down from her chair.

'Goodbye sir' she mumbled. 'Tell me about Hogwarts next time'

'Lily!' Harry yelled.

'Tell me about Hogwarts next time, please' Lily repeated sulkily without looking back as she walked toward the kitchen door. Teddy rushed over and though he was still a small child of 10 years himself, picked her up and whisked her away into the living room.

Durer, knowing this might be his last moments as a free wizard; perhaps his last moments alive if things were to go terribly bad, found himself somehow calm. Calm enough to feel charmed by Lily's innocence and allow a small smile on his lips. He didn't let her distract him for too long however as he remembered the reason for his visit.

'Mr. Potter- I have something I must tell you' He looked pleadingly into Harry's eyes still sat on the kitchen chair, covered in blankets.

'You can tell me at the hearing' Harry said coldly.

'No, I must tell you now Mr. Potter and only you Mr. Potter-' Durer began but was drowned out by a series of loud popping noises as auror after auror apparated into the kitchen until he was surrounded by not less than 20 witches and wizards pointing their wands directly at him.

'It's over' Harry whispered.


	2. An Unexpected Gift

Lily's eyes flickered open. She was lying on her oversized bed, covered in an array of colourful patchwork quilts and crochet blankets, all made by grandma molly. The newest of the lot was a patchwork of different shades of red, clashing terribly with her hair which Molly had given her just days before on her 11th birthday. After a sleepy moment of semi-consciousness, Lily turned her head abruptly towards the cuckoo-clock on the wall to her left. She sighed, realising it was not yet 6am and she had a full three hours and one day to go until she boarded the train at platform nine and three quarters for what she firmly believed would be the best years of her life. Every aspect of the stories she had heard from her parents and brothers about life at Hogwarts excited her; the spells to be learnt, the quidditch matches to be won and the friendships to be made. Her father's fame and position at the ministry as a law enforcer had meant that her family had always strictly followed the no-magic for underage wizards outside of Hogwarts rule and as such the use of magic had always been something exciting and yet out of reach for her. Aside from a few rare cases in which she made inanimate objects hurl themselves at Albus, almost giving him his own forehead scar, after he teased her a little too much about not being able to join him at Hogwarts, Lily had no memories of ever having performed magic.

But today she would be going to Diagon Alley to get her very own wand with her father who was adamant that he go together with each of his children in turn to gather their Hogwarts supplies in their first year. After James had accidently lit a curtain on fire during the night whilst sneakily trying out his wand, Harry had decided that promises not to use wands before the lawful time could not be trusted coming from the mouths of his easily excitable and reckless children. Thus it was decided that the safest time to go was the day before the Hogwarts Express departed.

Unable to get back to sleep, Lily threw off the covers and made her way barefoot in her pyjamas downstairs. The normally loud household was quiet and still. Even so, she tiptoed down the hall to the front door which she opened and shut behind her carefully so that it would not make a sound. She didn't want anyone, least of all her father, to wake up and catch her as she took Albus's broom off the rack beside the doorway. She had done this more than a few times and had been caught doing so at least a dozen, but today the stakes were higher as she didn't want to jeopardize her trip to Diagon Alley.

She took the broom in hand down the cobbled front steps and onto the hillside. From here she could see a beautiful clear morning view of their small village. Lily straddled the broom and kicked off the hillside in the way that Albus had secretly taught her a few months ago. Although they sometimes fought, Lily and Albus were as thick as thieves and though they were one year apart, people often mistook them for twins. They were always hanging out together and Lily often borrowed his clothes. When James went off to Hogwarts two years before Albus and three before Lily would get her turn, their ties grew even stronger. James was always boasting about the spells he had picked up and the quidditch matches he had won and so Lily and Albus tried to counter that by going on as many adventures around the village as they could together, often stirring up trouble or getting lost in the surrounding forests. Lily had been very lonely for the past year without Albus who seemed to be having a wonderful time making hordes of new friends and performing exceptionally in his classes at Hogwarts. It suddenly seemed just like when James had left, though admittedly James's marks had not been quite as exceptional. James was however an aggressive quidditch player and incredibly popular. She felt well and truly left behind. But that was about to change.

Soaring through the cool morning air, Lily could hardly keep the smile off her face. This was it. Finally it was her turn. Her future was open; her story unwritten. Which wand would choose her? What house would she be sorted into? Who would she ride the train with the first day? The possibilities were endless and any of the imaginable outcomes seemed wonderful to her in that moment. After a leisurely lap over the valley Lily landed in the tall grass near the tin shed full of quiddich supplies in the backyard of the Potter house. She decided to leave Albus's broom in the racks here. It was her way of letting him know that she had borrowed his broom without alerting the rest of the family to the fact.

She walked back into the house through the back door. The house was still quiet and so she was surprised to see her father standing with his back to her peeling onions into the sink. They were most likely in preparation for an omelette he often made for his family on special occasions. He often cooked the 'muggle' way; he said it was relaxing and merlin knows he needed time to relax in his line of work. Lily started, but Harry seemed less surprised.

'Good morning Lils' he said in an amused tone without turning around.

'Morning dad' Lily replied, her mind racing with excuses to explain why she was coming in through the back door at such an early hour.

'I couldn't find Weebles' she remarked in a high voice.

'oh really?' Harry chuckled motioning with a flick of his head towards the kitchen table where the family barn owl was perched on a chair in front of a pile of mail.

'Oh. There you are…' Lily said weakly.

'Were you searching the skies for him?' Harry asked lightly.

Lily gulped. There was no use trying to fool him.

'dad…'

'You know, you only have to wait a few more months until your flying classes are over and then you can get your own broom'

'I know but…'

'Come and help me with these Lils' Harry said warmly. Lily was relieved. Her father seemed just as happy today if not more, at the prospect of her beginning her Hogwarts journey.

A few hours later, the sun had risen high over the valley and it was looking to be a hot day. The Potter household morning routine was in full swing; Lily had turned on the wizarding wireless and was singing along as she helped Harry cook. Albus had come down in his pyjamas to laze on the couch and was sleepily listening in on Harry and Lily's conversation which was becoming increasingly more lively as Harry retailed stories of his Hogwarts years to an eagerly listening Lily. Soon after James had come down making the usual amount of noise he made banging down the steps. The household never felt fully awake until James was up, as he had a habit of standing in the middle of the lounge room and talking in a very loud voice to anyone who would listen about his recent quidditch endeavours or some new gossip about his classmates. This morning it was a sleepy Albus who received the brunt of it, nodding apathetically as James animatedly mimicked the way that Johnathan Adderly, his best friend and accomplice in mischief, had chased the qauffle with such speed that by the time he'd caught it he had flown carelessly close to Madam Mirabilis taking a stroll across the grounds and since he couldn't stop had had to fly right on under her legs through her robes. James finished off the tale by pointing out that had Albus not been studying for a potions exam like a boring old sod and been at the practice like he should have been, he could have seen this tremendous episode with his own two eyes.

James finished his tirade upon Albus just in time for the serving of breakfast but Lily wouldn't let anyone start yet. As it was her special day, James uncharacteristically followed her demands and waited patiently as she ran upstairs to wake Teddy. Lily always felt a bit shy going into Teddy's room. At her age he seemed incredibly grown up though he was only 18, in his last year at Hogwarts. It was also apparent to her (and many of the other girls in the village), though she hadn't much thought about it until recently, that he was quite handsome. Of all her brothers and cousins he doted on her the most, always letting her in on his secrets, telling her jokes and joining in whenever she began to dance around the house to her latest favourite on the wizarding wireless (which was quite frequently). She timidly opened the door to his room and peered inside.

'…Teddy?' she called softly into the gap in the door. 'Breakfast is ready'.

There was flash of red hair as her own face jumped out at her from behind the door.

'I thought I could smell Harry's special omelette' her face said to her mimicking her soft voice.

'Teddy! Don't do that it's so creepy' Lily's voice rose a few octaves.

The other Lily pushed the door aside and ruffled real Lily's hair.

'But this day is all about you Lilso. So it's only fitting really' Teddy teased her.

'Oh I wish I didn't have so many freckles' Lily said in despair cupping Teddy's face in her hands and leaning in for a closer look.

'Cheer up, I've got something for you' Teddy pulled the 'something' out of his pyjama pocket and held it out to her.

Lily looked down at his hands, her hands still holding his face. Teddy was holding a small beautiful gold tin engraved with a leafy pattern.

'What is it? It's beautiful' Lily exclaimed.

'Pixie dust' Teddy's face had morphed back into his own and was grinning from ear to ear just inches from lily's.

Lily, whose hands had still been planted firmly on his cheeks, quickly pulled her hands away.

'What does it do?' She asked, suddenly a little embarrassed.

'It makes things beautiful' Teddy laughed.

'Oh…' Lily supposed he was joking. Sometimes she wasn't able to tell with Teddy.

'Be careful with it won't you?' he looked her in the eyes for confirmation.

'I will…' Lily mumbled still not really sure what it was that she needed to be careful with.

'Excellent' Teddy remarked loudly as though that was the end of that. He bounced cheerfully down the stairs ahead of Lily towards the kitchen.

Lily looked back down at the tin, now in her own hands.

Makes things beautiful…did he mean that it could get rid of her freckles? she thought cynically.


	3. The Wandless Witch

Lily was almost skipping with excitement as she made her way down Diagon Alley at her father's side. Albus had run off to see what new piece of mischief uncle George had whipped up for his new line at Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes. James had spotted Johnathan and whisked him off somewhere to create their own mischief. Now it was just Lily and her father carrying a trove of what Lily considered her greatest treasures; the almost complete list of necessities for her first year at Hogwarts. Harry had offered to carry them all but Lily was so attached already that she wanted to keep them all bundled up in her arms as close to her as possible. She was a very small girl, even for her young age. James sometimes teased her about being skinnier than a house elf, but her mother had always made her feel better about it by mentioning how her own small stature and slim figure had proved useful in becoming one of the fastest fliers in the Holyhead Harpies' history. But even Ginny might think little Lily looked quite comical with all her supplies pilled up in her arms, the mountain of goods blocking her view.

'We're here Lils' Harry stopped his daughter with a soft touch to her shoulder.

Lily tried to look around the pile in her arms, dropping a few boxes in the process, to get a glimpse of their last destination; Ollivander's.

The bell on the door tinkled as they entered, Harry before her. She suddenly felt very nervous though she couldn't explain why. She had been practically jumping up and down on the stool when they had gone to get her robes, but this seemed somehow more heavy. She was about to be chosen by a wand.

Old Olivander was nowhere to be seen in the tiny shop. Lily was confused until a voice called down from above.

'Ah yes,'

Perched at the top of a very tall ladder to their right, Ollivander had a smile on his face and a twinkle in his eye.

'Yes, yes. I thought I'd be seeing you soon, Mr. Potter.'

Harry smiled back.

'Not for a while I should think after this one', he gave Lily an affectionate pat on the back.

'Ah, you must be the youngest Potter' Mr Ollivander's voice was hushed as though he was afraid of startling such a small girl.

'Yes sir' Lily replied shyly.

'She's been looking forward to this day for a long time' Harry said. 'Had her head stuck in wand making books for weeks'

'Ohh! A keen customer I see', Mr Ollivander seemed pleased.

'Well as you know, it is the wand that chooses the wizard-'

Lily nodded in earnest at this to show that she did in fact know.

'However! It's always nice when there is a knowledgable customer who has an eye for what might fit them' Mr Ollivander gave Lily a wink.

'What would you like to try first Miss Potter?'

Lily's shyness drained from her as fast as the smile bloomed on her face at his words.

'A pheonix feather sir! In mahogany, if you have it!'

Mr Ollivander chuckled 'It is your lucky day my dear!'

He pushed against the wall beside him propelling the wheeled ladder across to the adjacent wall where he quickly slid down a few rungs to pick out a dusty box deep at the back of the shelf.

Lily was so excited to hold the wand of her dreams that her hands trembled. Taking a deep breath she gave it a quick swish and flick.

There was dead silence as all three pairs of eyes looked hopefully at the tip of the wand.

'Alas, 'twas not to be' Mr Ollivander said in a dramatic whisper. 'What next my dear?' He continued in a cheerful tone.

Lily was almost a little glad she hadn't found the right wind straight away. She got to try all her favorites; unicorn hair, salamander whisker, dragons heartstring and more. All the combinations she could think of seemed to be available at the tips of Mr Ollivander's quick fingers. She had tried a variety of mahogany, holly and oak wands with various cores and had moved on to sandalwood when Lily began to feel a tinge of worry. The pile of discarded wands was growing larger and larger. The shelves around them becoming emptier and emptier. Hours seemed to pass and yet not one spark of magic, not even a whiff of smoke, had left any of the wands she had weld. Lilys swishes were getting less and less enthusiastic and Mr Ollivander's hands as he snapped the incompatible wands off her after each try were getting faster and faster. It got to the point where there were hardly any boxes left and Mr Ollivander had given up explaining any details about each wand he handed her to replace the last one was.

'Pixie wing. Oak. Thirteen' He said snatching a wand that had been in her hand for less than a few seconds and replacing it with another. Lily had not had time to raise the pixie wing wand a few inches before he grabbed that and forced another into her outstretched palm.

'Kelpie fur. Cherry. Eleven.' He said in monotone.

Lily looked up at her father with worry in her eyes. Was this how long it was supposed to take? She had never seen James or Albus getting their wands as it was somewhat of a family tradition that each child would go in with Harry alone. But when it was Albus's turn she had waited excitedly outside the shop and she couldn't remember having waited this long. In fact it seemed to take only a few minutes for Albus.

Mr Ollivander was still mechanically pulling wands out of Lilys hand and pushing new ones in whilst Lily turned to Harry. When he realized she was watching him and not the tips of the wands, Harry turned to look down at her and smile. But he wasn't fast enough. Lily had seen the strain of worry on his face.

'Well now, well now' Mr Ollivander interrupted their gaze. 'It certainly has been a while since I've had such a, ahem, challenging customer. But we do like a challenge.'

'I remember it took quite a few tries to find the right one when it was my turn' Harry said, reassuringly.

'Mmm yes, maybe not quite this many…' Mr Ollivander said unhelpfully.

'Kneazle whisker. Willow. Seven' he continued on automatically.

But before the wand had touched Lily's palm Mr Ollivander froze.

'Ah!' He exclaimed.

'What is it?' Lily asked concerned.

'Ah, well first try that one. Go on dear' he prompted her.

Lily hardly had enough time to clasp it before he snatched it back and threw it behind him.

'Nope, not that one. Just as I thought'

'What is it Mr Ollivander?' Harry queried.

'I've just remembered, who it was that tried just as many wands as this! It was almost like dejavu, so similar that for a moment I didn't quite realize that just this same thing has happened before!' He spoke quite fast in his excitement.

Both Harry and Lily peered at him waiting for him to go on.

'Red hair... and those bright green eyes. Why, apart from the fact that she had been alone, it was just like this- the day that Ms Lily Evans came in!'

'It was?' Harry seemed surprised but also a bit relieved.

Lily on the other hand was all relief. So her grandmother had also taken a while. Well, considering her grandmother had always been spoken about as quite a clever and powerful witch Lily felt at ease.

'So' said Mr Ollivander 'considering there are only three boxes left-'

Lilys stomach churned. Only three left.

'-and one of them contains an Applewood wand with a Dealan-dè butterfly core, a very rare core- I've only seen two or three in my time- but just the same core as the one that choose Miss Lily Evans, I would say that this is the wand for you Miss Potter'.

Mr Ollivander took a very old shabby box down from the almost-empty shelf. It looked like no one had tried this wand in centuries and that if left on that shelf for a few more years, the box might possibly dissolve away before it found a new owner.

Mr Ollivander, who was glowing with confidence, put on an air of much grandeur as he opened the dilapidated old box. Though he had spent the last few hours flinging wands aimlessly into her palm, this time he lowered the wand down into her hand quite slowly and with a twitch of a smile at the corners of his mouth.

Lily allowed her fingers to clasp over the wand at the same pace with the same amount of gravity. She brought the wand up higher than she had any of the previous ones and back down again with the most graceful swish she could muster. There was nothing to be heard but the sound of wood rushing through air and then the dead silence that followed. Lily let out an involuntary small sob and her throat tightened. But just at that moment Mr Ollivander exclaimed 'See! Aha! The wand has chosen the witch!'

Bewildered, Lily and Harry peered forward at the space above the wand that Mr Ollivander was excitedly motioning towards. If one looked very, very carefully, you could see the flicker of tiny specs of what appeared to be glitter floating in the air. Lily wasn't quite sure if it was something that she had conjured or just the light hitting the dusty air in just the right way. But Mr Ollivander was convinced.

'There you have it my dear. Applewood, Dealan-dè butterfly, Eight inches. Just as I suspected, you are your grandmothers granddaughter' He seemed quite pleased with himself.

'So this is the right-' Harry started to inquire before he was cut off by Mr Ollivander's cheerful voice.

'Merlin, I do have a lot of packing up to do! Good day to you Mr Potter'

He shooed them out of the door with a 'Good day Miss Potter and good luck with your studies!'.

Another tinkling of the bell and the ordeal was over. Harry had just managed to grab Lilys mountain of school supplies before they were rushed out, leaving Lily staring down at the dusty, dilapidated box in her hands.

They walked back in silence to the Leaky Cauldron where they had promised to meet back up with the rest of the Potter's and Weasley's for lunch. This was not how Lily, in all her many wild dreams about her trip to Ollivander's had expected it to go.

They were stopped a few times along the way by witches and wizards wanting to shake Harry's hand or to wish him the best in his latest Auror endeavors. Harry would always introduce his small daughter but Lily was too preoccupied with her thoughts to feign much more than a weak smile.

When they finally made it to the noisy table at the Leaky Cauldron which seated nine or so Weasley's and two Potters, Lily's mind hand wandered so far off that Albus had to yell to get her back to her senses.

'I said- what did you get Lily?' He spoke up loudly above everyone else's chatter, causing them all to quieten and listen in for Lily's answer.

'oh… just a few supplies for Hogwarts..' She replied dreamily.

'I meant your wand- what kind of wand did you get?' Albus looked at her incredulously.

Lily looked down at the dusty old box in her hands. The little box was so worn out that there were holes in the corners and it didn't shut quite right.

She looked up at her father.

'oh, uh…What was it again dad?'. She had tried so many and the experience with her chosen wand had been so underwhelming that she couldn't quite remember what Mr Olivander had said. Ginny looked over at Harry in alarm. She could sense something was wrong with Lily. Lily who had spent the last month reading over wand woods and cores and looking forward to this day with all her heart. How could she not remember what wand had chosen her?

'It was applewood- with a butterfly core!' Harry's voice was dripping with pride for his daughter but, to his family at least, it was easy to see that it could have been any kind of wand and he would have exclaimed in just the same manner.

'Butterfly?' said Albus dubiously. 'I didn't even know you could make wands from… butterflies…'

'It was a special kind' Harry clarified. 'I believe Mr Ollivander said it was a 'Deal'…' Harry trailed off trying to remember.

'A Dealan-dè' Lily said quietly, having remembered.

'What's that?' Albus asked.

'…I don't know' Lily's voice had grown softer.

Everyone looked at Harry for clarification but he replied by slapping his hands together and exclaiming 'Well then! Time for lunch I should think!'

'Wait, hang on dear. James and Johnathan haven't come back yet' Ginny frowned, knowing the two were likely up to no good. 'Perhaps we ought to send Weebles to go get them'.

Weebles, who was perched on the end of the table and was busy stuffing himself on seeds, chirped in protest. Luckily for him, just at that moment James and John rushed in. James, not having expected all the attention to be on them as they burst in, quickly tried to hide what he had been carrying by shoving it into the pocket of his jeans, but whatever it was he had wrapped up in brown paper protruded out awkwardly as he sat down nonchalantly at the long table.

'Hand that to you father James' Ginny said immediately.

James face contorted in protest. But Ginny's remained cool as ice as she motioned towards Harry with a flick of her head. James sighed dramatically and John looked downcast.

He handed Harry the package in a sulky silence.

Harry peaked inside an opening in paper and groaned which caused Albus and Hugo to do their best to peak around to see what it might be.

'I told you James, no going into Knockturn Alley! Under NO circumstances!' His voice was exasperated.

'Well you shouldn't have told them that…' Ginny muttered under her breath.

'We just wanted to see what all the fuss was about…' James said sulkily. 'And we only went into Borgin and Maudit…'

'Borgin and Moodet?' Ron cut in from across the table. He was surrounded by five flaming red headed Weasley children; only two of whom were his own. Rose was seated next to Hermione, chatting away with her about the book she had been reading on Ravenclaw history. Hugo, who was Lily's age but quite a bit larger, was still trying desperately to get a glimpse of whatever was under the brown paper. Then there were George's children Fred and Roxanne and Percy's daughters Molly and Lucy.

'Don't you mean Borgin and Burkes?' He shot at James.

James looked confused but before he could open his mouth Harry cut in.

'Burkes was sent to Azkaban a little while back' Harry didn't enjoy talking about his work in public and kept his voice low.

'So who the hell is Moodet then? I've never bloody well heard of him' exclaimed Ron.

'It's pronounced Maudit daddy' Rose chipped in.

Ron gave her an adoring look 'thanks sweetheart. Thank god daddy has so many clever women in his life to let him know when he's wrong.'

Rose didn't seem to pick up on the sarcasm and looked rather pleased at the compliment. Hermione on the other hand shot him a dirty look.

'It's Malfoy actually' Harry muttered looking away. 'I guess he didn't want to use his own name, understandably…'

'Malfoy?! Running a shop? With old Borgin?' Ron spluttered incredulously.

'Well he did always seem to like Draco in an odd kind of way' Hermione said thoughtfully. 'And I suppose he probably has a pretty good eye for… valuable objects'.

Ron snorted. 'Yeah, that's what growing up a snobby good-for-nothing brat will do to you. I suppose they're probably selling off all those dark objects they hid from the ministry during the raids after the war'.

'That's how I found out it was him actually' Harry said softly. 'There were rumors of… certain objects from the war being sold'

'That filthy money-grabbing sod' Ron exclaimed. 'Still trying to profit off his family's terrible deeds'.

'Well you have to feel a bit sorry for him' Hermione said quietly. 'Can't have been that easy to find a job after all the trials…'

The children were completely lost in this conversation, and James who was making it quite obvious how boring he found it had his elbows on the table and his face mashed into his palms.

'Can I have the thing I bought back now dad?' He whined.

'What do you think James?' Harry eyed him disapprovingly.

James let out a groan.

Ginny, who would have normally been admonishing James, sat across from Lily watching her with a worried expression. Her normally energetic daughter had been ignoring the adults conversation entirely and was sitting transfixed looking at the sad little box on the table in front of her.


	4. Lily Meets Poppy

Lily's little shabby wand box had been a source of nervousness for her in the lead up to her first day at Hogwarts. But somehow as the hours passed and the time to depart their house for the station got closer she was able to let the flood of excitement flush away any doubts she had about her wand. This was what she had been dreaming about since before she had grown taller than Harry's knees; her turn to ride the Hogwarts express.

She had woken up before the sun had risen, unable to sleep and had tried on everything she had in her wardrobe (most of which were clothes she had nicked from Albus). Her hair was so short that it hardly went past her earlobes and yet she fiddled with it, trying to push it up or to the side, in her nervous excitement. In the end she just let it hang loose as she always did, though as she had actually brushed it, it was perhaps a bit more neat than usual.

She had never given much thought to her appearance- a lot less than either of her brothers did about theirs. As a child, all she had ever really been interested in was flying and going on a adventures with Albus and listening to songs on the wizarding wireless. But for some reason it seemed important that everything about her was in the best condition it could possibly be.

She was unusually quiet when Harry and Ginny took her and her brothers out to a cafe near the station where they met up with and ate breakfast with the Weasleys. Surrounded by her brothers and all her cousins, as she had been for most of her life up until now, she felt completely at ease and on a normal day would have been making as much noisy chatter, if not more, as they all were now. But when she wasn't with any of her family (which hadn't in fact happened very often up until this point in her life) Lily was in fact quite shy. Sitting across from her, her cousin Hugo looked a little nervous about beginning their magical schooling too but as he had always been a little bit quiet, the difference in his behavior wasn't quite as noticeable as Lilys. Harry gave her an encouraging wink and a smile over breakfast and a little side hug before she ran through the pillar that lead to platform nine and three quarters.

On the other side of the pillar, the families of first year witches and wizards were milling excitedly around the doors to the carriages, saying their farewells. James, Albus and, to Lily's surprise, Hugo all ran off almost straight away to find their friends. It seemed Hugo had a neighbourhood friend of the same age from the village uncle Ron and aunt Hermione lived in. Lily knew nobody there outside of her family but she was determined to find some first years to befriend on her way to Hogwarts. She just wasn't sure where to start. Luckily Rose, who was a kind soul, had picked up on her nervousness and was waiting nearby to offer moral support as Lily searched the carriages for a compartment she might join. Harry knelt down in front of Lily, held on to her shoulders and looked her in the eye. She had never seen him look quite so serious. But soon his expression softened with a smile.

'Lily' he began.

'Yes dad?' Lily waited for what she hoped would be some kind of unfailing advice she could use to shield herself from any kind of problem. Some first years walked past whispering to each other at the sight of her famous father.

'Do you know how much I'll miss you?' Harry said, his emotional sentiment throwing her off guard.

'Dad! I'll be back for Christmas…' Lily was suddenly embarrassed though admittedly quite pleased. It was no secret that Harry adored his youngest daughter, she had always brought a light into their home with her love for adventure, dancing and laughter.

Ginny, who had been watching their exchange, smirked, rolling her eyes.

'Alright, alright time to untie the apron strings' she pulled Harry up back to his feet and looked down at Lily sternly.

'Don't ever let anyone make you feel small. Be yourself. Laugh, work hard, eat well and be fierce' she said emphatically.

Ginny's words had lit the butterflies in Lilys stomach alight and suddenly she felt completely capable and ready for her next great adventure.

She looked her mother in the eyes, nodded and said 'right, see you at Christmas then'.

Making sure not to look back, she turned on her heel and headed straight for the nearest carriage door. Rose diligently went after her and they climbed onto the train together. They walked slowly down the first aisle, Lily peering into the compartment windows to see if there were any with first years she might join. Most of the first few seemed to be full of older students who all already knew each other. They walked all the way down to the end of the carriage where Rose, standing behind Lily, opened the door to the next carriage with a flick of her wand. Lily, whose sole focus had been to find first years was completely thrown off by the scene in front of them. In the corridor of the next carriage was Teddy with his arms thrown around Lily's beautiful blonde cousin Victoire, his mouth covering hers in a passionate kiss. Lily froze and blushed, but Rose let out a sigh of frustration behind her.

'Teddy, this train is about to leave and you aren't allowed to be on it when it does'

Roses words shook the two out of the ardent embrace they had been consumed in.

'Sorry Rose… Lily. Just saying goodbye' Teddy smiled at them and gave Victoire one last hug before he rushed past them and out of the carriage doors. Victoire hurried after him so that she could give him one last waive. To everyone's surprise, Teddy rushed back to stick his head into the carriage and yell out 'Good luck in your first term Lils!'. His encouragement helped Lily to recover from the shock of seeing him snogging Victoire. Not that she hadn't seen it before- in fact it happened quite frequently. But though Lily was quite pleased at the idea that Teddy might one day marry into her family, she still couldn't shake the crush that she harbored on him. Lily was too young to have thought seriously about boys romantically and she had never been the type of girl to be interested in love stories. But Teddy had been a constant source of joy and support in her life thus far and was the closest person of the opposite sex to her outside her brothers.

Rose took Lilys hand and pulled her down the corridor to continue on their search. It didn't take long before Rose stopped and remarked 'ah here we go' at the door to a compartment. Lily peered in the window Rose was looking into.

Inside were five young girls who all seemed to be Lilys age. Lily recognized the one with light brown hair as Hazel Creevey, who she had met before at one of her fathers ministry family gatherings. She looked back at Rose who gave her a warm smile before walking off to leave Lily to make the leap. Not wanting to disturb what seemed to be an animated discussion, Lily opened the door very slowly and slipped in. Hazel recognized her immediately.

'Lily Potter!' She said in a loud voice over the other girls conversation. The other girls stopped talking to look at her. A mousey looking girl across from Hazel, with dark brown hair and pale green eyes looked quite surprised and stammered 'Potter? Oh-I, I'm Elizabeth. Elizabeth Dodge'.

'May I sit with you Hazel and Elizabeth? And…' Lily looked at the other three girls.

'Maria Bell' said the girl next to Elizabeth who had black hair, blue eyes and gave off an aura of confidence.

'I'm Alanna' said the girl adjacent from her who seemed just like Lilys type of girl. She had messy dark curls, tanned skin and somehow Lily thought instantly that she must be a great quidditch player.

Next to Alanna, a girl with shiny blond hair tied up in a tight pony tail was silently looking Lily over. She didn't seem to have noticed (or perhaps she didn't care) that everyone was waiting for her to introduce herself.

'Lily Potter?' She asked pointedly. 'Related to Harry Potter?' She shot the question at her without any warmth.

'He's my father…' Lily replied softly. She was proud of her father but had always gotten the impression from her cousins and brothers that wearing his fame on her sleeve was not the good or right thing to do.

'I know about him' the blonde haired girl continued.

'Well of course, everyone knows about him Poppy' Elizabeth said as though she were embarrassed for her.

'Not if you grew up muggle' Alanna stepped in, in Poppy's defence.

There was an awkward silence which Poppy ignored as she continued.

'-well I suppose so, but you know, in the non-magical world no one knows about him. Just like I suppose you don't even know who my father is' there was a haughty edge to her tone.

'Who is your father Poppy?' Hazel asked seeming genuinely curious.

Poppy chuckled and said grandly 'The duke Sir Emil Balfour'. She seemed quite proud but all of the girls stared back at her blank-faced.

'He owns half of Scotland and is the cousin of the Queen of England' Poppy explained. Her frustration at their ignorance was palpable.

Lily, trying to be the peacemaker, said quickly 'Is that right!? My goodness, that's quite something!'

Poppy returned her enthusiasm with a distrustful look.

'May I sit with you please?' Lily, who was still standing up with her luggage in her hand, asked.

'Oh of course, sit down!' Hazel pushed Alanna to the side into Poppy to open up a space for Lily to sit down next to her.

After putting her belongings in the rack above them she sat down with an awkward 'Thank you'. The compartment was not quite big enough for this many girls and her shoulders bumped with Alanna and Hazels as the train vibrated.

There was silence which Lily, who was the focus of everyones attention, felt obliged to fill.

'So, your family is all muggles then? That's interesting' she didn't mean to sound insensitive but she had honestly never met many people from non-magical families apart from her aunt Hermione.

'Well I suppose you could lump them into the category of 'muggles' but they also happened to write the history of this country and it has been said that our line has had witches in it before' she said this in a matter of fact manner and Lily suspected she had no intention of being hostile but the atmosphere in the small compartment became quite tense.

'And you know, it has caused quite a commotion- finding out that I was a witch. Not because my parents didn't know about magic- turns out they did from a previous duchess who had been magically inclined- but because they had everything sorted for me. They had to tell the best private school in England, which I had been enrolled in since birth, that I was going to another school! Imagine that! My violin lessons, the dressage competitions, the choir and the charities I had been involved in- all of them needed very good excuses for why I was to suddenly disappear!'

As no-one could sympathize with Poppy's experience, the girls couldn't quite muster the reaction she had been hoping for and this seemed to irritate her.

'But anyway- I have done my reading and have prepared myself in order to keep my stature where it should be!' Her declaration caused further confusion for the girls, all except Alanna who had started to nod in encouragement.

'Bravo Poppy, bravo'

Poppy smiled with pride before bending around Alanna to look Lily directly in the eyes.

'So, Miss Potter, are you intending on becoming head girl?' Her expression told Lily that this was not a girl to be crossed.

'I hadn't really thought about it yet…' she tried to laugh it off. Who would have thought of it before the first term of their first year had started anyway?

'Ah so then you aren't serious about it. Good. I intend to be head girl and I would appreciate it if you wouldn't get in my way'.

Lily was surprised at her frankness and a little ruffled by her hostility. She wasn't used to being spoken to in this way and it was starting to get the better of her.

'I intend on being quidditch captain though, so don't get in my way' she shot back.

Lily surprised herself with her own unfriendliness and apparently had done so to all the girls around her by the look of their faces.

Poppy took it in her stride.

'Oh quidditch? I've read about that. Can't be much harder than polo and I should think I might like to be captain too'.

Lily couldn't believe that this girl would try to take someone else dream away from them on the whim of it sounding like something she might like to do.

'Oh it's much harder than polo, I can assure you' She retorted, not knowing what polo was.

'We'll see about that. It will be all the better for me if I beat you to being captain anyway because then they'll know that I won the title with talent in spite of your fathers position' Poppy's delight at this idea was apparent in her face.

Lily had hardly been in the same room as her for more than a few minutes but she already felt like whacking Poppy Balfour in the face with one of her new text books.

'Well you might not even be in the same house…' Hazel looked like she sincerely hoped that would be the case.

'In which case you can both be captain!' Elizabeth squealed with strained enthusiasm.

'Are you even any good at quidditch Lily?' Alanna asked quietly.

For some reason, Alanna's question hurt Lily much more that Poppy's overt hostility had. Alanna was the girl that Lily had gravitated to the most. She had sincerely wanted to get along with her.

'I think so… I mean, I like to fly a lot' Lily's confidence from a few moments ago had dissolved.

'I'm a terrible flyer' said Hazel cheerfully, apparently trying to take some of the edge off the conversation.

After a small awkward silence, Alanna turned to Poppy and started explaining about famous quidditch teams and matches with Maria chiming in occasionally about some of the more obscure rules. As those three chatted, Hazel and Elizabeth bombarded Lily with a barrage of questions about what it was like to grow up in the Potter household, what kind of work her father was working on in the Ministry recently and whether he had ever told her first hand accounts of you-know-who. Lily became increasingly exhausted by the conversation and felt a pang of jealousy at the girls next to her who were talking happily about quidditch. She excused herself to go to the bathroom.

As she was making her way down the hallway, she started to think over and regret the things that she had said to Poppy. On her way back she had just resolved to apologize to Poppy and to try to get in on their quidditch conversation when a loud bang from the wall next to her made her jump in surprise.


	5. Half-eaten Chocolate

She stopped and stared at what she realized was a well hidden door. It looked like it might be a broom closet or somewhere to keep cleaning potions. Slowly, she reached out a hand to open the clasp on the door and peered inside. It was completely dark, and as Lily didn't know any light spells yet all she could do was wait for her eyes to adjust. There seemed to be something moving at the back of the closet. Always more curious than cautious, Lily walked into the closet shutting the door behind her. It was pitch black but she could make out the back of someone.

'Hello?'

This was all she could think to say to get the mysterious persons attention.

The figure turned around, apparently only just having been made aware of her presence.

'Lumos! And hello!' A cheerful voice replied. Having lit his wand as he spun around, Lily could now see that the figure was a boy with messy brown hair and pale silvery eyes. He was rather tall and lanky and gave off an aura of distinct dottiness. He looked at her with a lopsided smile, apparently unaware that his presence in a dark closet might be construed as a little bit odd.

'Um. Yes hello. I was just wondering what you were doing in here.' Lily said gingerly.

'Ah!' said the boy. He looked dreamily back at her, without any indication that he intended to explain himself.

There was a pause before Lily realized that she would have to ask him directly.

'What are you doing?' She had wanted to ask with more tact but couldn't think of any other way of saying it.

'Talking with the Blibbering Humdingers' his smile widened.

'…the wha-' Lily began but he jumped forward and grabbing her by the arm, pulled her down into a crouch at the back of the closet. There was indeed a number of cleaning potions on the shelves around them and a few seemed to have spilled onto the floor in front of where they now crouched.

'Nox' the boy whispered drowning them in darkness.

'uhm… what are we do-' Lily began to ask but stopped as she saw a faint green light appear from behind one of the potion bottles. It moved towards where the spill was. As Lily peered at it more closely she realized that the ball of light had what looked like eyes and a sort of fuzzy fur. A small tongue came out of a place in the light where a mouth ought to be and started lapping up the potion. Lily looked at it in wonder. She had never seen a creature like this before, though she had made sure to become aquatinted with all the magical creatures and peoples that lived around their village at home on her adventures with Albus. The little creature made a high pitched squealing sound and suddenly a whole hoard of squealing balls of light raced out from behind the potion shelves to swoop down upon the spillage.

Lily looked across at the boy with messy brown hair crouched next to her whose face, lit up now with the light of the humdingers, was delighted.

'Marvelous aren't they?' He whispered.

'yes' lily replied. Her face formed into the first genuine smile she had made all morning.

They watched the humdingers in silence for a little while longer. They were all trying to push each other out of the way to get a good spot to lick up the potion. The sheer amount of them meant however that they had soon licked the floor completely clean and with much haste, disappeared back behind the shelves they had come from. This left Lily and the boy in complete darkness once again.

'What's your name?' Lily asked, curious about this strange boy.

'Lysander' He said dreamily.

'With an L' he added.

Lily couldn't really imagine what other letter it could possibly start with and giggled.

'My name starts with an L too you know' she said.

'Oh how nice' the reason for Lysander's cheerfulness at this discovery was inexplicable but nevertheless it pleased Lily.

'Can you guess?' She prompted him.

'Oh! Are you Locasta?' He asked suddenly.

'no…' said Lily, never having heard such an obscure name. 'I'll give you a hint. It's the same name as a flower'

'Hmm…' Lysander thought hard. 'Is it Lubotuber?'

'My name is Lily! Nice to meet you!' She said with a grin, thinking it best to end the game before he pulled out any more strange words. She found his oddness quite charming and the fact that he hadn't instantly recognized her or asked about her family was a relief.

'Well I better get back to my compartment…' Lily said. Lysander nodded with a smile and remained sitting on the floor.

'Are you going to stay here?' Lily asked a little worried.

'Oh yes, I do like the dark' Lysander replied. 'So comforting, don't you think? And I'd like to see if the humdingers might like some pumpkin pie.' He pulled some pie out of his pocket. It had apparently been in there for some time, completely unwrapped.

Lily decided not to question it. 'Oh excellent. Good Luck Lysander' she waved at him before heading out the door.

'Goodbye Lubotubily' he said happily before the door shut, apparently unaware he'd mashed up her name a little.

Lily's mood had been lifted substantially by the encounter with Lysander and the humdingers. She had a grin on her face when she walked back into the compartment to find the five girls were now sitting in front of a mountain of sweets and snacks from the trolley witch. All of them had changed into their plain black robes, ready for the sorting.

'Oh you missed the trolley Lily' Hazel said as she sat down.

'You all must have been hungry…' Lily commented at the mountain of food in front of them.

'Oh Poppy got it all for everyone' Maria exclaimed.

'I suppose you can have some too if you'd like' Poppy offered with some reluctance.

'Why thank you…' Lily had made up her mind to apologize and try to get along with Poppy but the tone of her voice was already making Lily's short temper rise. However she forced herself to stay calm and with a deep breath had started to say 'Poppy, I just wanted to say-' only to be interrupted by Poppy herself.

'What are we all doing stuffing our faces?' She exclaimed suddenly 'We should be getting prepared for our classes! Do tell me Lily Potter, what spells do you know?'

Lily froze with a pasty half way to her mouth. 'Well… I don't know any yet… I mean classes haven't even started so…'.

Poppy seemed unimpressed.

'yes but surely you thought it best to prepare? I suppose coming from such a renowned family you might have thought you didn't need it but I've been practicing all summer'.

She looked quite proud of herself and seemed keen to prove her word as she pulled a wand out of her pocket.

'I guess nobody mentioned to you' said Lily diplomatically, 'But we aren't supposed to practice magic before or outside of Hogwarts'

'Pfft, yes but nobody follows that rule' Alanna joined in, pulling out her own wand which seemed to be made of a fine mahogany.

'And the ministry is rather lenient to young witches and wizards who are just about to start Hogwarts' Hazel agreed with her slender wand of a pale timber in her hand. 'I mean, I've never heard of any underage students getting expelled for using magic in the week before their first term'.

'Hogwarts probably wouldn't have any students if they did' Maria chimed in.

'Yes, yes I am aware. I of all people would not be caught dead being expelled before semester. Which is why I thought it best to prepare' Poppy was beaming with confidence.

'For example- Evanesco!' She cried making the chocolate frog on the table in front of her completely disappear.

All the girls gasped and clapped enthusiastically. All except Lily who sat frozen in shock that Poppy could already perform a transfiguration spell so advanced.

'Merlin, that's incredible Poppy' Maria gushed.

'Can you show us?' Alanna pleaded.

Poppy began to school the girls on the right motion and pronunciation to perform the spell correctly. They had all taken their wands out and were practicing the motion. Even Lily, who did not really want to join in, felt compelled to follow along. She took out the dusty old box that was tucked away at the bottom of her bag and opened it on her lap, trying to keep her battered looking wand out of sight from the other girls.

They were all too focused on Poppy's detailed instructions to care however. Though they all made several attempts, none of the girls could manage to make anything vanish as Poppy had. The closest was Maria who managed to make a few beans inside a packet of Bertie Botts disappear. Elizabeth managed to somehow transfigure some pasties from triangles into circles much to the amusement of the other girls. Alanna, Hazel and Lily however had no such success.

After a while Poppy said, 'Well how about we try something a little easier then?'

Lifting her wand up and swishing in back down grandly with a 'Reparo!' She managed to turn one of Elizabeth's pasties back into a triangle.

'Marvelous!' Elizabeth exclaimed.

'Now you try, this one is much easier. Just make sure to twist your wrist a little as you bring the wand down' Poppy instructed.

'Reparo!' Elizabeth mimicked Poppy's movements and was able to successfully transform a pastie back into it's original form.

The girls all took it in turns and each was able to perform the spell much to their delight. Even Alanna and Hazel had no trouble. Then it was Lily's turn. She had waited until last, nervous about her ability to get her wand to do anything.

There was a pit in Lily's stomach as she chanted 'Reparo!'.

All the girls were watching with smiles which faltered a little when nothing happened.

'Hmm, that's funny… it's usually quite an easy spell to pick up' Poppy said unhelpfully. Lily was beginning to realize that this girl had no filter and an apparent desire to make her feel terrible.

'Perhaps you need to twist your wrist a little more' Hazel tried to encourage her.

Lily tried again, twisting her wrist as far as she could to no result. As the girls egged her on she tried again and again. But she failed to produce even a wisp of magic. She was getting more and more flustered and embarrassed and would have liked to stop except that the four girls, who seemed embarrassed for her, wouldn't let her give up. To Lily's disgust Poppy could hardly hold back a smirk. Lily wasn't sure if she was even trying to.

For the benefit of the other girls, Lily tried to laugh it off.

'Guess I've got a lot of learning to do. Good thing we're heading to school huh?' She said weakly.

'I don't think they'll be teaching us a potion to fix ineptitude' Poppy said curtly.

All four girls heads snapped to look at her, their mouths hanging open.

But Lily just looked straight ahead and clenched her teeth.

'Well I won't be needing one! But you'll be needing one for manners!' She snapped.

'Manners are for showing respect and nobody is going to respect a witch that can't even repair a pastie' Poppy scoffed at her.

Lily jumped to her feet and glared down at Poppy who was looking up at her with her eyebrows raised in a show of complete and utter contempt.

'It's just so disappointing. Here I was thinking I'd have a rival to help me keep my grades up and my wand waving on point but it turns out Lily Potter is duller than a Deluminator'

It was the last straw. Lily's temper snapped and she raised her battered old wand at Poppy, without even the slightest idea of what spell she was going to try and cast. But before she had even begun to bring it down there was a huge bang as the mountain of sweets on the table exploded inexplicably. All the pasties that had been repaired were splattered all over the five girls new robes. Bertie Botts beans had flown all over the compartment and into the girls' hair. Lily stood frozen in shock, her wand still raised.

'Our robes!' Maria gasped looking down at herself and the other girls in horror. Hazel looked as though she was about to burst into tears.

'What have you done Potter?' Alanna demanded angrily.

'I… I don't know what happened…' Lily's voice croaked.

None of the girls would meet her eyes. They were all upset and horrified at the prospect of showing up on their first day covered in splattered pumpkin, chocolate and all manner of other sticky things.

Only Poppy looked calm.

'Don't worry, I've got just the spell to clean us all up' she said victoriously.

Lily couldn't take it anymore. This was not how she wanted her first encounter with her classmates to go. Poppy Balfour was not the kind of classmate she had ever imagined that she would have. And her own behavior that morning was not how she wanted to be remembered.

Without another word, she grabbed her trunk from the racks above them and hauled it out of the compartment, getting as far away from the girls as she possibly could. She had no idea where she was going. Her heart was beating fast and she tried to cover her face so that the students laughing and chatting in the other compartments would not see her tears as she rushed by their windows. She wanted to hide and there was only one place she could think of to do so.

When she arrived at the potions closet, Lysander was exactly where she had left him sitting crosslegged on the floor in the dark. Only now he had a book out and was reading it peacefully when she burst in. He looked over it as she shoved her trunk in and dropped to the floor, hiding her wet face by burying it in her knees.

Once the door swung shut, it was pitch black again and she hoped that it would be enough to cover up her pitiful state. But even in the dark she could feel Lysander's dreamy gaze on her.

'Would you like a chocolate, Lubotubily?' He asked cheerfully. Lily looked up between sobs. She couldn't see him but she reached out her palm, into which he inserted a half eaten chocolate frog.

It was the nicest chocolate that Lily had ever tasted.


	6. The Sorting

Lily was feeling a little better. Lysander had been right- sitting in the dark could be quite calming. She had spent the rest of her trip listening to Lysander explain all about the creatures that he had found over the last year on his explorations in the Hogwarts grounds. It made her feel better to know that even if she turned out to be a terrible witch, there were still adventures to be had at Hogwarts which didn't involve casting spells.

Unfortunately as Lysander was in Albus's year, it meant that they could only stay together until they reached the station, where the first years were being whisked off into boats by Hagrid. After a 'cheerio Lubotubily' Lysander went off to join some other Ravenclaws in a carriage.

Lily went over to say hello to Hagrid. Hagrid was a frequent guest at the Potter house and Lily was very fond of him. He seemed pleased to see her.

''ily Potter' he said beaming. 'You've been lookin' forward to this day for a long time eh?'

Lily put on her brightest smile for Hagrid.

'I have been, yes'

'Well hurry and get r'self a boat. 'ts only the first years what get to ride 'em you know?' He gave her a little wink and a smile as she hurried off to make sure she was in a boat which didn't contain any of the girls she had ridden the train with. Instead the boat she chose had three first year boys in it- MacDougal, Brocklehurst and Cole- who all eagerly quizzed her about the battle of Hogwarts and her fathers role in it on the way over. The conversation left her feeling a little tired, but anything was better than having to talk to Poppy Balfour again.

When they got far enough to be able to get a really good look at the castle Lily was filled with awe. It was more splendid and beautiful than any of the pictures from the book aunt Hermione had given her, 'Hogwarts, a History', and even better than the images she had conjured up in her mind over the years.

Lily was in a stupor of wonder as they walked across the lawns and in through the grand entrance. She could hardly keep her mouth from gaping open. She couldn't imagine anything more incredible until she got a glimpse of the Great Hall as they were ferried past the entrance to it towards a side chamber.

Thousands and thousands of candles floated in midair under a starry night sky. Underneath this beautiful sky were four long tables, where the rest of the students were already sitting. The golden plates and goblets seemed incredibly glittery and beautiful to her in that moment.

Lily stoped and peered through the doors, over to the Ravenclaw table to see if she could locate Lysander. He sat at the end, and though he seemed completely oblivious of the fact, Lily noted that nobody seemed to be trying to start up a conversation with him. He did however look at peace in his own little quiet bubble.

Lily didn't have much time to worry over Lysander however. Her own situation was not so cheery. She saw the five girls she had splattered with trolley snacks enter the side chamber ahead of her with impeccably clean robes. Poppy must have had just the right cleaning charm after all. Lily felt terribly alone walking into the chamber behind them, making sure not to catch their attention. Luckily there was a whole crowd of first years which she could hide in.

The door on the other side of the chamber swung open and a somewhat short, round-faced, blond haired wizard walked in. Lily recognized him as Professor Longbottom. The Potter household always seemed to have numerous guests and, like Hagrid, Professor Longbottom had been one of them. Lily had always been a little bit shy around him, but now she was relieved to see a familiar face.

"Welcome to Hogwarts," said Professor Longbottom with a warm smile to all the nervous first years, before launching into an explanation about the sorting process and the four houses. Lily of course knew all about the four houses of Gryffindor, Slytherin, Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw, but in her earnestness she listened to his whole speech as though it was all new to her.

As Professor Longbottom's speech drew to an end and he began to get them to line up in order that they might head into the Great Hall in an orderly fashion, the atmosphere in the chamber became more and more tense. Even Lily, who quite frankly would be happy to be sorted into any house, as she had read up on all of them and was fascinated by each of them in their own way, had started to feel the nervous butterflies return. Poppy had run enthusiastically to the place in line that Professor Longbottom had directed her to but was nevertheless shaking with a combination of excitement and fear. Lily reflected that she looked much paler and worse for ware than she herself felt and somehow that gave her a little bit of satisfaction.

They marched into the hall down between the Gryffindor and Slytherin tables towards the Professors table at the far end. As they passed the Gryffindor table a number of flaming red haired Weasley students and two dark haired Potters gave Lily an encouraging cheer.

The first years filed in front of the Professors table where Lily recognized yet another, much rarer guest of her fathers; Professor Slughorn. He was waiving his hand enthusiastically at her, which though of course was welcome, struck Lily as a bit odd considering they had never really spoken on any of his visits to their home.

The hall went silent as Professor Longbottom placed a four-legged stool in front of the first years. On top of the stool he put an extremely dirty, patched and frayed wizard's hat.

For a few seconds, there was complete silence as everyones eyes were on the sorting hat. But soon with a twitch and and shudder (which threw off some of the dust covering it) the hat began to sing.

"Welcome all, young magic folk

For another year's begun

At Hogwarts School of Witchcraft

And wizardry and fun.

You see it is my sacred duty,

(For which I am quite skilled)

To divide you into houses

-It's what the founders willed.

'Twas over a thousand years ago,

That four wizards of renown,

Took me off of Gryffindor

And made me sorting crown.

Gryffindor, who loved courage,

Chose those with chivalry,

History shows many terrible wars were

Fought by his cavalry.

Ravenclaw was wise enough

To pick those of wit and learning

Whose creativeness and foresight

Changed the magical world's discerning.

Hufflepuff, with arms wide open,

Welcomed the loyal and the just,

Their hard work and patience,

Earned them many a wizards trust.

Slytherin cunningly saw potential

In those with grand ideals,

Whose ambition would lead them

Through many great ordeals.

But though today you will part ways,

Your talents thus divided,

Don't shun your other schoolmates,

For your fate is not decided.

And never were four more powerful,

Before Slytherin was spited,

Than the founders in the good old days,

when they were united.

Titles should not come between you,

That is not my aim,

For nothing could be more dangerous,

than judging by a name!"

The hat finished up it's song and Poppy's enthusiastic clapping was the loudest in the hall.

Professor Longbottom then stepped forward holding a long roll of parchment.

"When I call your name, you will put on the hat and sit on the stool to be sorted," he instructed them. "Aethelwulf, Ariana!"

A tall dark haired girl with pale skin walked forward and put the hat on. It didn't take long before the hat shouted 'Slytherin!'.

After a few more students it was Poppy's turn. Lily almost felt sorry for her; she was visibly shaking. The hat was perched upon her shiny blonde hair for quite some time, making Poppy's shivering more and more violent.

When it finally yelled 'Gryffindor!', her relief was visible. Lily on the other hand groaned. She didn't want Poppy to be in the same house as her two brothers and the majority of her cousins- the house she seemed likely to end up in. She saw her family cheer as Poppy rushed off to join their table.

Next it was Maria Bell's turn and she was promptly placed in Ravenclaw, before Bertie Brocklehurst was named a Gryffindor.

Hazel gingerly went up to the stool to be sorted after Simon Cole had been placed in Hufflepuff. She looked delighted when the hat screamed 'Gryffindor!' and she could go join the table at Poppy's side.

Elizabeth Dodge ended up by Maria's side on the Ravenclaw table. Lily could see that they were sitting nearby to Lysander but showed no interest in him, though he had clapped happily for them when they had come to sit down.

After a few more students had been sorted, Professor Longbottom called out 'Alanna Hooch!'.

Lily released then that her inkling that Alanna might be good at quidditch had probably been correct. The Hooch family were famous for having provided some of the best quidditch players in England. Alanna didn't look at all nervous as she sat down and put the hat over her dark curly hair. There was a few moments of silence before the hat screamed 'Gryffindor!', much to the delight of Poppy and Hazel who cheered happily as she came to join them.

Mathew MacDougal and Raul Pucey followed, both being sorted into Slytherin. Lily had never seen someone her age as large as Pucey- in fact he looked a lot like the pictures of giants she had seen in some of her books about magical peoples. Lily was so completely distracted by his thundering footsteps as he made his way to the Slytherin table that the sound of Professor Longbottom calling her name sent a shock through her like a bolt of lightening.

'Lily Potter!' Professor Longbottom called again when she didn't move. She forced herself to walk forward. She had felt fairly calm moments before but now that it was actually her turn, she was sweating with nervousness.

Everything seemed surreal as she placed the hat on her head and sat down on the stool. She had told herself that it didn't matter which house she was placed in- any house would provide great adventures. But deep down she knew that she had wanted to be in Gryffindor. It was the house that her beloved father had been in and the house that her brothers always raved about. It felt like home, like family; the place she truly belonged. But now that Poppy had been sorted there she wasn't sure if she would be able to survive spending seven years in such close proximity to a girl who had been so hostile towards her from the get-go. The hat seemed to pick up on her conflicted thoughts.

'Lily potter' the hat's voice was so clear and in such close proximity to her ears, that it made Lily jump.

'You are a tough one, yes, quite tough indeed.'

'I don't know what I want' Lily realized suddenly to her own distress.

'Well, that is a pickle' the hat said reading her thoughts, 'We'll just have to think this through carefully- yes, lets see…'

As the hat 'ahh'ed and 'uhm'ed and the minutes ticked by, Lily's nerves were a wreck and she felt as though the stool was slowly dissolving below her. She wanted to crawl up in a ball on the floor and get away from having to make this horrible decision.

'Gryffindor might be the one… I can see you're quite brave… well usually anyway' Lily was horrified that the hat could pick up on her fear in that moment.

'And I can sense a love of learning for the things you are passionate about… and you're quite creative, oh yes, quite creative indeed… so Ravenclaw might be the ticket…' the hat went on. Lily felt a little relieved at the thought- at least then she'd be in the same house as Lysander.

'But no… perhaps not quite enough wit for the things you don't have patience for' the hat reflected, it's words stinging Lily's pride.

'Great, so now even the sorting hat agrees with Poppy that I'm an idiot' her temper flared up and before she could stop herself the words had formed in her mind.

'Not an idiot my dear, just very stubborn sometimes… I can see there is a lot of ambition there too; you feel you have a lot to live up to it seems… so perhaps Slytherin?'

Lily considered the hat's suggestion carefully. Her father had always said Slytherin was a noble option, but she shuddered at the thought of having to spend any more time answering MacDougals questions about her father and the battle of Hogwarts.

'No, perhaps not then.' The hat agreed before going on 'Hufflepuff? You are quite loyal- I can sense a lot of love for your family… but perhaps not enough…'.

Of all the things the hat had said to darken Lily's mood, that comment was the most provocative.

'What's that supposed to mean?' she thought skeptically, knowing that the hat would be reading her every thought but unable to contain them just the same. She did love her family. She wanted nothing more than to be with them.

'Ah that's it then' the hat said triumphantly and Lily had hardly enough time to think 'What's it?' Before the hat screamed 'GRYFFINDOR!'

Cheers erupted from the Gryffindor table. Lily gingerly lifted the hat off her head. To her horror, she realized that she was now sitting on the floor, the wooden stool forming a pool of liquid around her. Lily was incredibly embarrassed and confused as Professor Longbottom quickly brought another stool over to replace it.

'I'm so sorry Professor, I- I don't know what happened' she stammered.

Though the Gryffindor table was still cheering she could see quite a number of students from the other houses laughing at what had happened.

'Not to worry Miss Potter' Professor Longbottom said kindly, using a cleaning charm to get the liquified chair off her robes. 'Run along now to the Gryffindor table' he ushered her away.

Lily made a beeline for Albus who promptly opened up a space for her next to him. She didn't care about trying to make knew friends anymore. She just wanted to spend that moment with her family, most particularly Albus.

'Well done Lily, knew you'd be in Gryffindor' he beamed at her.

'If anyones got more courage than sense it's our little gremlin' James teased her.

'What was up with the stool trick though eh? Best thing I've seen at a sorting in a long time' James and his friend Johnathan both burst out laughing.

'I don't even know' Lily said mortified. 'I didn't even notice it was happening until I took the stupid hat off'

'Don't call it stupid Lils' Albus reprimanded her. 'That thing can read your mind you know'.

'We could tell you hadn't noticed, it was amazing! It just started to sink into the floor really gradually. At first I thought we were just seeing things!' Johnathan explained over James's laughter with with a huge grin and what Lily thought might be a little bit of respect for what he considered to be a nice piece of mischief managed.

'Oh look it's Hugo' Lily said quickly, relieved there was something happening to help her change the topic.

Lily was almost disgusted at how quickly the hat chose to sort Hugo into Gryffindor in comparison to what had seemed like an eternity when it had been her turn.

He ran over to their table and sat down next to Roxanne Weasley who was sitting on James's other side. Down a little further sat Fred and Dominique Weasley and then down further still sat the beautiful Victoire with a prefects badge shinning on her robes.

It almost felt like another family dinner at the burrow, except that the hall they were in was much larger and more grand and the food that had just appeared on the plates in front of them more scrumptious looking than even grandma Weasely's best Christmas dinners.

But before they could dig in there was a tinkling of spoon on goblet as Headmistress McGonagall rose to address the students. She beamed at them all paying particular attention to the new faces. Lily had heard from James that she could be quite strict but to Lily in that moment she seemed very grand and kind-looking. Lily also suspected that whatever strictness she had shown James he was likely to have deserved.

"Welcome," She said. "Welcome to a new year at Hogwarts, school of Witchcraft and Wizardry! I know that for many of you here tonight, this may be one of your first encounters with the magical community and I would like you to know that Hogwarts is and will always be your home.'

Poppy beamed back at the Headmistress at those words and lifted her chin a little higher.

"Before we begin our banquet, in the spirit of great headmasters past, I would also like to add- Nitwit! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak! Thank you!"

She quickly sat down as the hall erupted with laughter and cheers.

'She must be in a good mood today' James noted. 'There was no tweaking at our sorting ceremony'.

Lily was hardly listening. She was famished after having eaten nothing but the chocolate Lysander had given her the entire train ride over. James and Albus were the center of all the conversations going on around them, with their fellow Gryffindors all butting in on each other to tell the two what mishaps they'd had on their summer holidays or to ask their advice on what potions to use for a certain problem or even to ask for dating advice to get a witch they fancied to go out with them. Lily knew they enjoyed Hogwarts and had always brought around many friends, but she had never seen them in their element and was only just beginning to realize how popular they were. Certainly they had a lot more confidence than she felt at that moment as she quietly devoured the feast in front of her, trying to avoid Poppy, Hazel and Alanna's gaze. Johnathan asked her some questions about how her train ride had been which Lily threw off with a few vague answers. She looked over at the Ravenclaw table where Maria and Elizabeth were now chatting with some first year Ravenclaw boys. Rose was seated a little way up the table, apparently explaining some kind of wand motion using breadsticks to a girl seated next to her. Lysander was still sitting in his quite bubble and no one seemed to be paying him any attention, but Lily noticed him sneak a few pieces of ham and potato into his pockets. She smiled to herself wondering what creature Lysander planned to woo next.

After dessert, Headmistress McGonagall got to her feet again. The hall fell silent.

"I have a few more importance announcements, so do listen well." She warned them.

"First years should note that no magic should be used between classes in the corridors. Students are also not allowed in the forrest or in other houses's common rooms for any reason." She emphasized this with great weight.

"Quidditch trials will be held in the second week of the term. Anyone interested in playing for their house teams should contact Professor Claudas. Now, be sure to go straight to your common rooms and get a goodnights sleep before your classes tomorrow. Goodnight!"

Headmistress McGonagall ended her speech with a tone of finality which was greeted with outrage from some of the staff.

"Headmistress, ye've forgotten the song again!" Hagrid protested.

"What song?" The Headmistress replied, though the curl of her lip gave away that she knew exactly just what song.

"The School Song! 'ts tradition!" Hagrid said aghast. Some of the other professors were looking on amused by their conversation.

"Oh very well" the Headmistress sighed in defeat. "You take it away then Hagrid"

"What an honor Headmistress" Hagrid replied with pleasure before getting to his feet and crying out "off we go then!"

The school bellowed, all at a different pace and to different tunes;

"Hogwarts, Hogwarts, Hoggy Warty Hogwarts,

Teach us something please,

Whether we be old and bald

Or young with scabby knees-"

James and Johnathan practically shouted the words out, trying to see who could be the loudest. Lily joined in gleefully but was a little disappointed to note that she wasn't the only one who had memorized all the words from 'Hogwarts, a history'. Poppy was standing with her chin raised singing along with what Lily hated to admit was an incredibly beautiful voice.

"Our heads could do with filling

With some interesting stuff,

For now they're bare and full of air,

Dead flies and bits of fluff,

So teach us things worth knowing,

Bring back what we've forgot,

just do your best, we'll do the rest,

And learn until our brains all rot!"

"Beautiful" said Hagrid, apparently keenly affected. He wiped away a tear and said "Ah, if only Albus Dumbledore was here to enjoy that"

"Yes yes, very nice" the headmistress said hastily "Now off to bed with all of you- and no dawdling in the corridors!"

The Gryffindor first years followed Victoire out of the Great Hall, and up the marble staircase. Lily stuck by Albus's side and the pair dawdled a little behind the crowd.

'Everything alright Lil?' Albus asked her in a whisper, knowing full well that it most defiantly was not.

Lily sighed 'It's just that Poppy Balfour girl…'

Albus didn't seem surprised.

'You mean the one you've been shooting daggers at all evening? You really need to learn to hide your emotions a little better' he laughed.

'She said I was duller than a dilumintaor in front of all the other girls…'

To Lily's horror Albus burst out laughing.

'Albus!' She exclaimed.

'Sorry, it's just… that's a pretty good one' Albus couldn't contain himself 'I mean- I'm going to have to use that one sometime' he chuckled.

Lily rolled her eyes.

'You're no help' she said sulkily.

'Don't worry Lily' he tried to reassure her 'There are plenty of other students you can befriend. In a couple of weeks you'll have completely forgotten about Poppy or Peppy or Pippy of whatever her name was'.

They were climbing up a set of very steep stairs and could see the Gryffindor first year crowd up above them on the next flight of stairs in the distance.

The two rushed to catch up, with Lily running behind Albus saying,

'It's not just that… I think maybe there's something wrong with my wand or… I don't know' Lily didn't want to explain the whole sorry story about her inability to produce any magic in front of the other girls.

'Your wand?' Albus frowned but continued hurrying up the steps, 'I dunno Lily, if Mr Ollivander himself chose it for you, I doubt he'd make a mistake'

'Well it might have been the best one for me in the shop at that particular moment but-argh!' Lily was unable to finish her sentence as the staircase suddenly moved beneath her feet and, unable to retain her balance, she was sent flying backwards. Her stomach dropped and all she could see was Albus's wide eyes watching her falling figure. Albus had grabbed onto the railing to steady himself and was looking back at her in shock. She braced herself for the inevitable hard landing on the steps, shutting her eyes tight.

But to her surprise she found herself being propped up by something warm and soft. Opening her eyes, she saw a face above her. It belonged to a blond haired boy with ivory skin. He had caught her under the arms and her head had fallen back onto his chest to the effect that now she was looking at his face (which was looking down at her's) upside-down. He had incredibly striking eyes which would probably be described as hazel but which looked more yellow and animal-like than any she had ever seen. She noted that they actually looked a little like Weebles' eyes. His face was expressionless, apparently not in the slightest surprised to see a first year falling down the stairs in front of him.

'You alright?' He asked briskly 'You ought to be careful- the staircases move sometimes'.

Lily quickly righted herself so that she wasn't leaning back on him anymore. She could now see that the boy was wearing Hufflepuff robes and looked to be a little older than she.

'I'm fine' she said quickly and quietly, 'sorry about that'.

'It's alright' the boy muttered before shooting a look at Albus and walking quickly away up the stairs.

When the boy had left, Albus hurried down the stairs to where she was still standing.

'Try not to kill yourself on your first day' he pleaded, 'dad would be furious with me and James if he knew we'd let anything happen to you'.

'I'm fine' she reiterated to him. They walked up the stairs again at a much safer and more cautious pace. After a while Albus said,

'and… forget about Poppy Balfour but be careful of that Malfoy boy will you?'

'Malfoy?' Lily asked confused.

'The one you fell on' Albus said with some frustration.

'Why? He seemed fine' Lily said with a frown.

'Well I dunno… He doesn't really talk to people much- doesn't seem to have any friends at all for that matter. But there are some pretty bad rumors going around. Apparently he spends all his time learning dark curses and he's been known to threaten people with the unforgivable curses before.'

'What?' said Lily aghast. He hadn't really seemed all that hostile to her but threatening to torture or kill people with curses which were strictly forbidden by the ministry didn't seem like the kind of thing anyone with good intentions would ever do.

'So what were you saying about there being plenty of other people to befriend?' Lily joked.

'You'll be fine Lils, I promise you. Within the week you'll be loving this place'.

Lily smiled back at Albus hoping that he was right.


	7. The Library

Unfortunately for Lily, Albus could not have been more wrong. Lily had thought she had gotten off to a bad start, but it had been only the tip of the iceberg.

On her first night in the dormitory she had apologized to Hazel, Alanna and Poppy for splattering their robes and ruining their train snacks. Hazel had brushed aside her apology with a grin and Alanna had mumbled 'don't worry about it'. Lily was unsure if Poppy had even heard her, because she got no reply at all.

But the next day, though Alanna and Poppy stuck together, largely ignoring Lily, Hazel at least tagged along at her side as they tried to find their new classrooms in the giant maze of a castle. Hazel was constantly talking, apparently terribly excited for their first week. She also seemed to enjoy the looks that the pair received from the other students who were interested to see that yet another Potter had started at Hogwarts.

Lily had heard it had been much worse for James, as he had been the first to attend Hogwarts since their father graduated. But Albus had also got his fair share of stares and whispering owing to the fact that he greatly resembled their father. Lily on the other hand, was quite small, plain-looking and didn't have the aura of confidence that her brothers exerted, thus allowing her to pass by unnoticed the majority of the time.

She could not go unnoticed however when Professor Slughorn ran after down the corridor her yelling her name as she and Hazel were trying to locate their History of Magic classroom. With a dismissive nod to Hazel, Slughorn pulled her aside and greeted her with a huge smile.

'Lily Potter! where have you been my dear? I've been looking for you all morning' He admonished her as though they were good friends.

Lily, quite confused, said 'I've just been looking for my next class… potions isn't until Friday is it sir?'

She began to rummage through her bag to find her timetable but Slughorn stopped her.

'Quite an odd way to go to get to Binn's class' He chuckled, apparently well aware of her schedule.

'It's just I had some very good news for you and wanted to let you know straight away'.

'Good news sir?' After her eventful start to the term, those words sounded marvelous to her.

'I' Slughorn began grandly 'would like to formally request…'

He paused for effect as Lily waited.

'…Your membership into the Slug Club' he finished with an air of gravity.

Lily wasn't sure what she had been expecting, but the Slug Club had been the furthest from her mind. She knew about it because both James and Albus were 'members' and she had heard them mention that Slughorn chose particular students he favored to attend parties every so often.

'Oh… Thank you, sir.' Lily said, a little uncertain but trying to be polite.

'What an honor'.

'I should say!' Slughorn bellowed happily 'Not many first years get an invitation that's for sure. But do you know what my dear- and I do hope you don't mind my saying so- but you remind me so much of your late grandmother. Quite the spitting image actually.'

Lily had been told before that she greatly resembled her grandmother, though since her grandmother had not had any ghastly freckles and looked quite beautiful in all the photos that Lily had seen of her, she had always been quite skeptical of the fact.

'Lilly Evans, now she was a clever witch that's for sure. I never quite noticed her until forth year when she really began to shine. And do you know what my dear? Such a clever witch as she, I always regretted not discovering her earlier!'

Lily was not quite sure what he meant by 'discovering' her- presumedly she'd been there all along- but she nodded along anyway.

'And so my dear it would be quite the honor if you could attend the first Slug meeting of the term, starting in my office at 7pm sharp this Saturday.' His tone made it sound as though it would be all Lily's honor, but nevertheless Lily smiled back and said, 'I would love to sir, thank you'.

'Excellent! Well now that's settled, you'd better hurry! Professor Binn's class is three flights of stairs up to your right.'

Wishing he'd mentioned that fact earlier, Lily said goodbye and rushed off to find a very lost Hazel before sprinting together with her towards Binn's classroom.

Poppy looked very disapproving when they showed up a few minutes late but her mood was placated by the fact that she was able to answer all Binn's questions, at times before he had even finished asking them. Poppy's answers were always longer than they needed to be and in far too much detail. Toward the end of the class, Professor Binn fell into a slumber waiting for her to finish her spiel, and the class was left with Poppy as their sole instructor. Begrudgingly Lily had to admit that the amount of knowledge Poppy had seemingly gained about the history of magic in the few months since she had found out about the magical world to now was really quite impressive- if only she would refrain from explaining it all with her nose in the air and several triumphant glances at Lily.

After History of Magic, they had transfiguration with Professor Montespan who was comparatively young compared to most of the professors at Hogwarts- Lily thought he looked to be around the same age as her father, but with black hair that was much neater than his and dark brown eyes that looked unimpressed at any given time. He seemed less than enthusiastic as he watched the first year Gryffindors and Hufflepuffs pile in and began the class by explaining that he did not like to teach but as Headmistress McGonagall could find no-one else that meet her high standards for the role, he was doing her a favor and filling in for the time being.

'So, don't get attached' he finished with a smirk and started to hand out matchsticks.

Despite his overt disdain for teaching and Lily's nervousness at having to take out her battered wand again, Lily found that she quite liked his frankness and was relieved that he did not seem all that invested in their progress- especially considering her matchstick remained completely unchanged by all her attempts at their task.

She particularly liked how he didn't take his eyes off of the book he was reading the whole class, even when Poppy ran up excitedly to show him the needle she had successfully transfigured her matchstick into.

'Right, let me know when that's a pincushion' he said throwing at matchbox to her without so much as a glance in her direction.

Lily had no luck in Charms either. The tiny Professor Flitwick had seemed quite excited to have her in his class when he had called out her name off his roll of parchment with a little squick, but in a room full of Ravenclaws and the exceptional Poppy, her inability to produce a shred of magic with her wand was painfully obvious. After many unsuccessful attempts the Professor seemed rather disappointed. To make matters worse, their task was to fix a broken potions flask with the incantation 'Reparo' which all the girl's she had ridden the train with, including Hazel, had already proven they were able to perform.

Out of all the classes she had been looking forward to Defense against the Dark Arts the most, but alas she proved terrible at that too. Their instructor was Professor Guibourg, a chubby, scrubby and bubbly old wizard who had (some decades ago it seemed) been quite the renowned Auror. He seemed to think that Lily's inability to block any of the charms he shot her way was due to a lack of fast reflexes and took to warning her in a rather patronizing manner each time he lifted his wand at her. When her wand didn't respond no matter what blocking spell she yelled or how she swished it through the air, she was forced to fling herself sideways to avoid being hit, much to the amusement of Poppy and their Slytherin classmates.

It was quite a relief for Lily that they had Herbology with Professor Longbottom three times a week. Though she suspected the professor was purposefully giving her the healthiest plants and fungi to look after out of pity for her sub-par magical abilities, she was still thrilled to see that whatever she took under her care thrived noticeably. Coincidentally it was also the one subject that Poppy seemed terrible at. Though she new all the names and properties of whatever Professor Longbottom threw at them, everything she came into contact with seemed to wilt after a while- a fact she vocally blamed Professor Longbottom for.

Astronomy with the Ravenclaws wasn't too bad either as most of it was spent looking through telescopes rather than performing magic and it gave her a chance to try to repair the first impression she had given Maria and Elizabeth. Besides, Lily liked looking at the sky (though she would have preferred to be flying through it). It was a good reminder that their flying classes would be starting soon and that gave her some hope.

She had just been chatting to Maria about which brand of broom she felt was best for each quidditch position when Poppy came by to ruin her mood.

They had been looking at the constellation Cygnus through the telescope they shared, when she came up behind them and said haughtily, 'You do realize you're looking at Aquila'.

Lily jolted in surprise and looked back at her with a frown.

'Are you sure? It looks like the the swan formation here' she showed Poppy the page in her textbook.

'Yes well that would be because Aquila, as you'd know if you'd read that book Potter, is also a bird.' Poppy reached forward and turned the paged of her book until it reached a diagram of the eagle constellation they had been looking at.

'ohh…' Lily said defeated.

'Not to worry Potter. Sometimes things look quite right on the outside but they end up being wrong on the inside- rather disappointing and dull, some might even say' she smirked.

'What's that supposed to mean?' Lily threw the book back down on the table that was supporting their telescope, causing it to wobble and loose the position they had chartered it to.

'Just that I don't think you'll need to worry about aiming for quidditch captain anymore- someone with your magical ineptitude could never hope to-'

'I'd outfly you any day Balfour' Lily cut her off.

'Excellent. Then tomorrow it is!' Poppy exclaimed triumphantly.

'What?' Lily shot back confused.

'Tomorrow, at our flying lesson- that's when you'll try to outfly me' Poppy stared back, unblinking.

'Don't be daft. We can't race each other- we'll get into trouble…' Lily sounded pathetic even to herself.

'Well then I guess you can't outfly me any day' Poppy's tone was light but her words went like daggers into Lily's pride.

'Fine! but we-'

'How grand, I'll let everyone know it's on then' as usual Poppy didn't wait for Lily to finish what she was saying. After fiddling with her and Maria's telescope for a little she walked off with a snarky 'and that's what Cygnus looks like, in case you were wondering'.

By the time their astronomy class was over and the first years had begun heading back to their dormitories, Lily was fuming. She could see the back of Poppy's beautiful shiny blonde head as she descended the steps of the tower in front of her and wondered how anyone could be so disagreeable. Poppy was already better than Lily at just about everything (bar Herbology perhaps), why did she feel the need to prove she was better at yet another thing? And, to make matters worse, to want to prove it in front of everyone else?

Lily was hardly listening as Hazel chattered about all the supplies they would need to take to their first potions class the next morning. She made up her mind that she was not going to let Poppy Balfour walk all over her anymore. Though it was past their curfew, Lily told Hazel she had forgotten something in the tower and made a beeline for the library. If she couldn't beat Poppy with her magical ability, the least she could do was to try and beat her in knowledge.

The library was dark and empty, just as Lily had expected. She still worried that someone might walk in on her however and so walked to the very back of the room to find a small table, hidden well behind the restricted section. There were quite a few books piled up on it which someone had apparently neglected to return to their shelves. Without paying their covers much attention, she pushed the piles over to the other side of the desk and out of her way, placing the proscribed potions textbook for tomorrow's class down on the table in front of her. It was quite a heavy and dense with the names of magical materials she had never heard of but she made up her mind to look up the uses for each and every ingredient in the recipes on the first few pages.

She was just wondering what Hellebore was and how one might get syrup from it when there was a ruffling noise and someone appeared from behind the bookcase in front of her. She looked up from her book to see the platinum blonde haired Malfoy boy, staring back at her. He looked surprised to see someone there and Lily realized with a pang of nervousness that it must have been his books who she had pushed across the table. After what Albus had told her, she was worried that not only would he tell on her for being out past bedtime, but that he might even cast a spell on her for touching his things. To Lily's surprise however he said nothing at all and simply sat down across from her and opened up the book he had in his hand. Not knowing what to do and thinking it would be strange to get up and leave, Lily awkwardly went back to reading her potions book. They sat like that ignoring each other, though they were only a few feet apart, for what seemed like a couple of hours before Lily's eyes began to droop and she had to admit defeat. She got up from the table as quietly as she could so as not to disturb him but paused before leaving. He was still absorbed in his book. Lily noted that he looked quite tired but seemed to have no intention of leaving anytime soon.

Very awkwardly, she broke the silence with a 'goodnight then' and tried to hurry off as fast as possible. But as she made her way around the bookcase that blocked the table from view she thought she heard a very faint 'Good night' in return.


	8. The Race

Hazel woke her in time to have some breakfast before double potions with the Slytherins. She was glad that she'd made it in time for breakfast because Weebles had a letter for her from Hagrid.

Dear Lily,

Would you like to come around and have a cup of tea tomorrow around noon?

I'm at the hut, down by the forest on the north side.

I've got someone I'd like you to meet.

Hagrid

Lily was terribly pleased and sent a letter back straight away accepting Hagrid's invitation. It would be so nice to spend time with a familiar person after such an unfortunate week.

Lily had underestimated how tired the first few days had left her. Coupled with her lack of sleep from the night before, she worried she would be able to keep her eyes open in Slughorn's class.

Falling asleep proved impossible however as Slughorn started off his class by quizzing the wide-eyed first years. It would have been alright if he'd left the questions open to the floor but for whatever reason he seemed to have made up his mind to direct them all first and foremost at Lily.

'I wonder if anyone could tell me what this is?' He said holding up a dark green sprig of some kind of plant and looking directly at Lily. Poppy had just opened her mouth to answer when Slughorn said quickly 'Lily Potter?'

'Is it mint, sir?' Lily asked hesitantly, wondering if it was a trick question.

'Correct! And what kinds of potions is mint likely to be used in?' His eyes remained on Lily and he held out his hand referring to her but just as she began to say 'I believe, Sir, that it is used-' Poppy jumped in.

'-It's used mostly in healing potions, though there are some exceptions such as the fire-breathing potion' Poppy rolled the whole explanation off her tongue so quickly Lily had barely enough time to register her interruption and was left with her mouth open.

'Very good, miss...?'

'Balfour, sir' Poppy said looking pleased.

'And then we have this-' Slughorn's hand had only just brushed the flask he intended to pick up when Poppy yelled-

'Honeywater! From the coloration I'd say the honey would probably be buckwheat or possibly wildflower'

'Very good Miss Balfour!' Slughorn's face lit up with delight as he looked incredulously at Poppy.

'It is indeed buckwheat honey mixed with two cups of water'

Poppy smiled and looked around the class to see who was watching their exchange.

'And Honeywater-' Slughorn started to say.

'- is also used mainly in healing potions; the most famous of which is the Wiggenweld potion'

This time it was Lily who jumped in to answer before Poppy could get a chance. She could feel Poppy glaring at her but looked straight ahead not wanting to give her the satisfaction of returning her look.

'Yes, that's right Miss Potter! The Wiggenweld-' Slughorn had not even began his sentence in the tone of a question, but hearing Poppy start to say 'the Wiggenweld-!' Lily said in a loud voice over her '-cures injuries and reverses the effects of a sleeping drought'.

The whole class was silent now. It was obvious to everyone that the two girls were not just interested in answering the questions right but that they were openly competing with each other.

'You have read-up Miss Potter!' Slughorn seemed very glad indeed that she was living up to his expectations. 'So do tell me-'

Lily and Poppy both leaned forward on their stools trying to pick out what the question might be first, but Slughorn clarified;

'-do tell me, Lily Potter-'

Poppy made a sour face.

'What is this and what is it used for?'

Lily's heart sunk when she saw the flask full of blue liquid.

'Well that's Hellebore syrup, sir' she said racking her brains for what she had read just last night about its uses. All that came to her was the image of Malfoys white-blonde head appearing from around the other side of the bookcase.

'...and... and it's used for...' Lily could hear Poppy making frustrated throat clearing noises next to her. It was terribly distracting.

'...well now, I suppose it is one of the more rare ingredients.' Slughorn said generously.

'Miss Balfour?'

Poppy almost fell off her stool trying to get her answer out as fast as possible.

'-it is most commonly used for potions which deeply effect the human mind! For example, the Draught of Peace which is a potion used to relieve anxiety and stress but which is- ironically- notoriously difficult to brew!' Poppy had to take a few deep breaths after rushing out her answer.

'Wonderful Miss Balfour!' Slughorn slapped his hands together in delight.

'So then we have one last ingredient-' Slughorn turned his back on the students to retrieve a jar of something green from behind him.

Poppy got her answer in first though nothing had yet been asked,

'Stewed Mandrake, sir!'

'Correct! Meaning today we are ma-'

'Volubilis Potion!' Poppy and Lily yelled in unison.

'My goodness, what an exceptional group of first years we have this year' Slughorn seemed oblivious of the fact that everyone besides Lily and Poppy sat with completely lost looks on their faces.

When it came to the actual brewing of the potion Lily was meticulous in making sure everything was cut, brewed, boiled, sprinkled and stirred just right. She willed her potion to work out- all her focus was on it and she even whispered in her mind to it, asking it politely to please, please become all the right colours at all the right steps. To her delight, some sparks shot out of her cauldron when she added the last ingredient signalling the completion of a well-brewed Volubilis potion.

Slughorn cried out with joy from across the room at the sight of her sparks.

'Wonderful Miss Potter! And so quick! Almost as fast as Miss Belfour who I must announce holds the record for the fastest brewing of a Volubilis potion in my class to this date!' He was standing next to Poppy's cauldron and threw his hands into an applause for her. The other students, who were still all sweating over their cauldron trying to get them to turn the final pale blue colour, joined in unenthusiastically.

'I shall be taking a flask of this for my very own collection!' Slughorn held up the flask he had of Poppy's potion for all to see before heading into the potions closet behind his desk and shutting the door behind him.

Lily could have been frustrated that after all her hard work Poppy had still managed to come out on top but after all her failures in her other classes she was just glad that she had managed to get something right.

She was just about to scoop some of her Volubilis potion into a flask when she froze at the unsettling sound of her own voice.

'I wish Professor Slughorn would take a flask of mine- considering I spent all last night reading this recipe over and over just so I could try and show off today'

Lily's head shot up horrified. She looked over at where her own voice was coming from, mockingly sharing her secrets. The Slytherin students had burst out laughing, with many almost falling from their stools. Poppy, who had apparently been so sure about her brewing abilities that she had swallowed some of her draught, was now able to mimic Lily's voice perfectly.

'I mean, as the daughter of Harry Potter, I felt I needed to make sure everyone knew I was better than them.'

Lily could feel her face flush as her temper began to flair. She tried to contain herself but her hands shook unwittingly.

Just then Professor Slughorn came back into the classroom and looked around bemused by all the laughing.

'Did something funny happen?' He asked.

The classroom went quite.

Hazel broke the silence in a small voice 'It was Poppy sir, she-'

'-farted' Lily quickly finished her sentence, making the class erupt into laughter again. She knew Hazel had good intentions but she didn't want anyone tattling on her behalf. This was between herself and Poppy Balfour and she intended to settle it herself somehow or other.

Poppy pursed her lips, unable to retort without giving away that she was under the influence of Volubilis.

'Well that's all very natural- the Hogwarts diet can be quite a change for some students, particularly muggleborns' Slughorn said. Lily supposed he was trying to be kind but Poppy's face had turned an odd sort of purple.

'I have just the potion for an upset stomach' He looked over at Poppy condescendingly. She returned his look with a strained smile.

'Just let me get a flask of Miss Potters potion then I'll- oh dear'

He had walked over to Lily's cauldron and was staring down into it with a furrowed brow.

Lily quickly looked down to see what was wrong. To her surprise her potion had turned into a thick, black, tar-like liquid which was slowly bubbling, though she had extinguished the fire beneath it quite some time ago.

'It wasn't like that a few minutes ago sir!' Hazel said in her defence.

'Hmm... I've.. Ive never seen that happen before' Slughorn said with a frown. He seemed genuinely disappointed by her inadequacy. Lily was quietly distraught; She'd thought she had finally gotten something right- she'd been sure of it. But somehow nothing seemed to end well for her.

By the time the first years began to file out into the Hogwarts grounds for their first flying lesson, Lily had almost forgotten her deal with Poppy. She had been going over and over the ingredients she had added to the potion in her mind trying to recall where she had gone wrong.

Professor Claudas was a middle-aged French wizard with curly blonde hair and very little patience. He snapped at them to line up quickly next to a row of brooms laid out in the grass. He instructed them through the basics; getting the wand to jump up into their hands, mounting, take-off and landing. It was all very familiar to Lily who had been flying (albeit illegally, when her parents weren't looking) for two years since James had come home for the first time after starting Hogwarts and had shown her all he'd learnt in regards to flying so that she could help him to practice quidditch. Lily contemplated pretending to be worse at it then she was, to make her illicit flying history less obvious but after a week of being terrible at everything she was inclined to let herself excel at it. The basics were obviously new to all the other girls bar Alanna who seemed suspiciously at ease and almost a little bored. To her credit Poppy was the first after Alanna and Lily to be able to mount and take off successfully.

Poppy was unusually quiet as she concentrated on getting her head around the basics of flying. It wasn't until the end of the class when Professor Claudas had told them to leave their brooms in a pile near him and head off to the great hall for lunch when she returned to her usual self. Her hand shot up into the air causing Professor Claudas, who seemed keen to finish up and get his own lunch, to sigh.

'What eez it, Miss Balfour?'

'Sir, Potter and I have made a promise to have a race across the grounds' Poppy said matter of factly.

Lily's mouth dropped open- trust Poppy to ask permission to do something so obviously not allowed.

Professor Claudas looked from Poppy to Lily and back again.

'Well, I suppose it eez better you do it now under supervision...' he sighed.

Poppy grinned. Lily couldn't believe her ears.

Many of the students who had been packing up or heading towards the hall turned around in interest.

'But you are only to go from 'ere-' Claudas made a white starting line on the grass in front of himself with his wand '-to zere '.

The finish line was a red ribbon that shot out of his wand tip and soared fifty meters away accross the grounds.

'Well there we have it then Potter' Poppy whispered to Lily with a smirk, picking up her broom of the ground next to her and heading over to the white start line.

'Not much of a race if you ask me' Lily said.

'I would have thought we'd be flying at least to the other side of the castle- and without 'supervision''

'And you thought I would do anything that could get myself detention Potter? I don't think so- I've a reputation to uphold'

'I guess not' Lily muttered.

They took their marks as Professor Claudas raised his wand.

'You are to come straight back at zee end' he warned before his wand emitted a loud 'bang!' and the girls were off.

Poppy was only fast enough to keep up to Lily's ankles for most of the way.

Lily smirked and looked back at her.

'This is too easy Balfour'

'You had a head start' Poppy retorted, her face screwed up in concentration.

Lily hit the finish ribbon with all the speed she could muster and she could hear the cheers of first years from the ground. It was deeply satisfying. But it wasn't enough.

She sped on towards the castle. She pushed the sounds of Professor Claudas yelling for her to come back out of her mind. She didn't want to just win the race; she wanted to make sure Poppy knew never to mess with her again.

She soared higher so that she would be able to fly over the roof, between the towers and all the way to the other side of the school. As she did she cast a look back and saw in a flash the shine of Poppy's blonde hair behind her. She had followed her just as she knew she would.

Lily turned abruptly to the right and zig-zagged through the various small towers on the south wing of the building, purposefully keeping as close as possible to the walls to maintain speed. It was not the kind of flying she expected a novice like Poppy could keep up with but surprisingly Poppy did so, hitting her broom against a few walls as she went. As Poppy had not given up Lily decided to make a dive down over the Herbology glass houses and under the bridge on the West side.

She felt alive, the adrenaline pumping through her veins. She also felt more in control than she had since she had arrived at the castle.

She nose dived and pulled up just in time, letting the bristles of her broom skim across the glass roof of the greenhouses and then descending further down to the water in the moat. She heard Poppy's broom thud against the glass roof as she sped after her.

Lily took one hand off her broom and rotated so that she was flying upside-down with her fingertips skimming the water.

'Quit mucking around!' Poppy yelled from behind her.

'Not enjoying yourself Balfour?' Lily teased, flicking some water back at her.

Poppy gave a scandalized yelp as the water hit her and Lily took the opportunity to sharply turn her broom and rocket upwards. She passed by several large windows on her way towards the roof. Just as she reached the edge of the roof however there was a flash of light and heat as a great fireball blew out of the side of the castle from the mouth of a winged gremlin statue. The fire missed Lily by a whisker, singeing the tips of her broom's bristles. There was only a few horrible, confusing seconds between then and when Lily realized that Poppy would be following along right behind her. She attempted to pull up but she had been going so fast it proved difficult and she had hardly slowed pace as she screamed back down at Poppy;

'Stop, Poppy! Stop-!'

To her horror Poppy ignored her and shot straight up towards her. The gremlin let out another ball of fire which Poppy was not quick enough to avoid completely. Her broom was set alight and her shoulder appeared to be smoking. She screamed and Lily watched in disbelief as her flaming broom fell back down with Poppy still straddling it.

Lily, finally able to slow down enough to pull herself around dived down after her yelling.

'Poppy! Poppy!'

Knowing it was coming, Lily was able to avoid the third flame ball that the Gremlin emitted on her way down but there was so much smoke that she could not locate Poppy. She flew over the surface of the moat yelling Poppy's name.

Once the smoke had cleared a little, to Lily's great relief, she found a broom-less Poppy in the water clinging to the roots of a tree that had grown out of the side of the building.

She quickly flew over to her but her heart sunk when she saw the terrible burn on Poppy's shoulder- her robes had been completely burnt off over it.

'Poppy, I'm so sorry- give me your hand! We have to get you to the nursing wing'

'Like I'd get on a broom with you Potter- you, you almost killed me!' Poppy was stubborn even through her obvious pain.

'Please, Poppy, it's not safe here- there are creatures in the moat-' Lily was getting steadily more panicked.

'You think you're the only one who's read Hogwarts a History, don't you Potter? You really do think no one could be as good as-'

'Poppy! Please! This isn't the time' Lily yelled incredulously.

'I'll find my own way back-' Poppy was as defensive as ever.

'I can't believe you- you- what is your problem with me anyway? What did I ever do to you-?'

'Well now you've tried to kill me-' Poppy snivelled.

'I promise, it wasn't intentional- please Poppy just let me take you back- the water is dangerous' Lily pleaded.

When Poppy looked away from her in defiance Lily grabbed her by her non-injured arm and attempted to pull her up onto her broom. But Poppy resisted, screaming and pulling Lily down.

Lily went head first into the water. Her broom dropped down after her and was promptly swept away by the current.

'You're crazy! What have you done! I've never, in all my life met someone as pointlessly hostile and disagreeable and-' Lily began to rail her grabbing onto the branches herself to stop herself from being swept after her broom.

Poppy rounded on her in retaliation, 'Well I've never met anyone so incompetent- couldn't even finish me off could you-'

'For the last time- I wasn't trying to kill you!' Lily yelled back.

This was how Professor Claudas found the two girls when he came flying in search of them. They both shook from the cold but were nevertheless still engaged in a loud shouting match when he grabbed them under the arms and pulled them from the water.

Without a word, he escorted them in their soaking and singed robes across the grounds and into the castle with the scruff of the collar of a girl in each hand. To Lily's horror he marched them straight into the great hall where the rest of the school sat eating their lunch. They were dragged up between the Gryffindor and Hufflepuff tables to where the headmistress sat with a soup spoon halfway to her mouth and a very unimpressed look in her eyes. The headmistress let the spoon fall back down into her bowl of soup with a clatter and the noise of chattering students died.

'To my office Miss Potter, Miss Balfour' she instructed getting up. Claudas pulled them back down between the tables again after the Headmistress. The eyes of the entire school were on them and whispers broke out. Lily looked up for just a brief moment and accidentally caught the eyes of James who was looking very disapprovingly in her direction. She quickly diverted her gaze away to the Hufflepuff table only to lock eyes with Malfoy whose lips were parted in surprised, his brows furrowed slightly. Lily chose to look down at her feet for the rest of the duration of their walk of shame and saw that they were leaving a trail of water from their soaked robes.

Lily wondered what McGonagall would do and hoped with all her might that she wouldn't be expelled for almost killing Poppy. Her stomach grew tighter and tighter as they ascended the many steps up to the Headmistresses office.

Once they had made their way past the Phoenix statue and onto the last flight of stairs Lily whispered across Professor Claudas to Poppy.

'Poppy, I'm sorry. I didn't know about the flame breathing statue- please believe me'

'You can't fool me Potter- it's right there in Hogwarts; a History, which you've made very clear that you have read on several occasions!' Poppy hissed back.

'There is nothing about that flaming statue in Hogwarts; a History'

Lily was certain; she'd read it from cover to cover.

'Once again you seem to think you're the only one that has read it' Poppy scoffed.

'I know you've read it!' Lily hissed back, 'which means you must know there is nothing in there about fire breathing winged gremlins!'

'Yes there is!'

'Enough! You will explain yourselves to zee Headmistress' Professor Claudas silenced them. They had reached McGonagall's desk where she sat looking sternly at them. She seemed like she would very much rather be back downstairs finishing her soup.

'There no need- I see what's happened here' the Professor looked them over disapprovingly.

'You do?' Lily replied weakly.

'You have the 1991 edition of Hogwarts; a History and Miss Balfour has the latest one'

McGonagall raised an eyebrow at them.

'Oh...' said Lily in surprise. She supposed that would explain a few things.

'We updated the castle's security quite a bit just before Voldemort rose for the second time- I wasn't sure about it at the time but Professor Dumbledore seemed to think that flaming buttresses were necessary.'

'Oh so that excuses her from almost burning me to a crisp' Poppy's cried in a high pitched voice.

'No- neither of you are excused. You will both receive detention starting from now until Monday for ignoring Professor Claudas's instructions and flying dangerously around prohibited areas of the school' Professor McGonagall eyed them both for any signs of disobedience.

'You will be restricted to your dormitory, the library and the great hall. You will spend your time reading this and have an essay summarizing it to me by Monday' she picked up two copies of the same book off the shelf from behind her and slammed them down on the desk in front of her.

The cover read 'Dangerous devices and insidious incantations at magical schools across the world'.

'Chapter seven covers Hogwarts but it will do you good to read them all' she added curtly.

'But Professor-' Lily began realizing she would not be able to visit Hagrid after all.

Poppy cut in over her.

'Professor! I've been invited to a very important, very prestigious event on Saturday night and I really do think-'

'If you are taking about Professor Slughorn's party, Miss Balfour, neither of you will be permitted to go' McGonagall said crisply.

It was the last thing on Lily's mind and she would rather not have gone anyway if she'd known Poppy was invited too.

'But please Professor, surely I should be able to go- she's the one who-'

'That's my final word on the subject Miss Balfour. Mr Claudas will escort you to the nursing wing'

McGonagall dismissed Poppy's protests with a wave of her hand and she was taken out of her office and back down the stairs.

'You may go now too Miss Potter' McGonagall said without so much as a glance at her. But Lily paused for a moment.

'...Professor' She began nervously.

'Yes, Miss Potter?' McGonagall looked up at her now with a cocked eyebrow.

'Could you please not tell my father about this' Lily said quickly.

'I don't make a habit of writing home to students parents every time I give out detentions' McGonagall said studying her. 'But I can't promise that I won't if anything like this ever happens again' she finished sternly.

'Oh it won't Professor' Lily promised with no confidence of the fact.

Lily didn't have the stomach to go back to the great hall and face her peers so she made her way back to the Gryffindor dormitory. The fat lady looked her soaked figure up and down sceptically and instructed her not to sit on the lounges in the common room before reluctantly swinging open.

Lily almost rejoiced for what seemed to be an empty common room- until she noticed both her brothers were standing waiting for her by the fire.

'Lily' James didn't have to say much for his disapproval to be communicated.

'Have you been expelled?' Albus asked anxiously.

'No no, just detention' Lily mumbled fiddling with her wet sleeves.

Her brothers both sighed with relief.

'What on earth did you do to that Balfour girl? Set her on fire?' Albus looked like he believed she really might have.

'It wasn't me- it was the flaming buttresses...'

'The what?' James and Albus said in unison.

'Flaming buttresses; they're new apparently, I mean newer than the old edition of Hogwarts; a History'

'Lily, I don't know what you're talking about but it looked like you had tried to seriously maim another first year- everyone was talking-' James scolded her.

'Well I didn't okay? Believe me, I would have liked to, but I didn't. Now can I go get changed?' she was tired and wanted to write to let Hagrid know as soon as she could that she wouldn't be able to visit anymore. She didn't wait for their approval and trotted off to her dormitory.

With a second thought she looked back at them and yelled 'And don't you dare tell dad about this' before shutting the door behind her.

If there was one thing in particular that Lily wasn't good at (out of the many things she had discovered she couldn't do in the last week) it was staying inside when she had been told to. She had been like that since she was very small; a toddler running off outside the play with the gnomes in the long grass of the backyard at the Potter house.

But this time she really couldn't risk getting in trouble again and having the headmistress write back to her parents. Her mother perhaps would scold her but that wasn't what she was worried about. More than anything she didn't want to disappoint her father.

So Lily decided the best course of action would be to get away from the common room where Poppy was splitting her time between practicing charms and shooting angry looks her way, and head to the library.

Besides, she had an essay to write on the dangers of a magical education.

To her surprise Malfoy was sitting in exactly the same spot she had last left him in at the small table behind the restricted section, engrossed in a book with a tattered black cover. He didn't look up when she came over and sat directly in front of him so she said nothing to him either and got on with reading her assigned book.

It was a couple of minutes before Lily felt his eyes upon her and looked up over her book to see him staring. He appeared amused to see what she was reading.

When he realized she had seen him looking he quickly went back to what he had been doing as though nothing had happened. But she felt a sudden need to clear the air.

'I didn't set Poppy Balfour on fire' she said suddenly breaking the silence.

Malfoy set his book down slowly and eyed her in confusion.

'Who is...? Oh...' he seemed to have only just realized what she was talking about.

'I didn't think you had' he responded quizzically.

'Okay' Lily said awkwardly and went back to reading her book.

Malfoy smirked and did the same. It was the closest thing to a smile she had ever seen him make.


	9. Curses

After spending two full days from morning until night sitting across from a very silent Malfoy, Lily began to make a habit of coming to the library after her classes to read at the little table behind the restricted section. She was still determined to beat Poppy in terms of magical knowledge, or at the very least to make sure she didn't make such a fool of herself in all her classes.

And she was curious about Malfoy- he seemed to spend literally all of his time outside of classes at that table reading books. As she was always the first to leave she assumed he also spent much of his nights there too and Lily began to wonder if he slept at all. She never saw him speaking to anyone else, or at least not any of the other students; she had seen him deep in conversation with Professor Montespan in the corridors on a few rare occasions.

Lily supposed Albus must have been right about the idea that he scared most of the other students, but Lily herself had yet to find anything at all scary about him. He was quiet, showed little interest in others and was studious to the point of obsession she felt- but he did not seem to her in any way dangerous. On the contrary, she felt more at ease when surrounded by his calm silence than when she was around any of her other peers. She was thankful to Hazel for being the only person in her year to actively try to spend time with her even though Lily had now proven to every first year in every house that she was perhaps the most terrible witch that Hogwarts had ever seen. But somehow Hazel and Lily's conversations never seemed to match up and their interests were very different (Hazel was an avid reader of Witch Weekly and only seemed to collect the chocolate frog cards of very handsome wizards).

Malfoy for his part, didn't make any attempts to converse with her and though they spent most evenings in each other's presence, he did not acknowledge her when they passed in the corridors or saw each other from across the dinning hall. But he also never asked her to stop sitting at his desk in the library.

Unfortunately for Lily, though she was able to answer a few more questions here and there thanks to the hours she spent studying, her magical performance in her classes did not improve. Her wand had still not let out a single spark of magic.

One evening after Potions Slughorn asked her to stay back. He looked nervously at her, twisting his fingers and making lighthearted small talk about Lily's excellent precision in the preparation of potions ingredients. Lily made sure she was very focused in potions, as it was the only class, outside of Herbology in which she seemed to stand a chance. And outside a few times when Poppy had stolen her attention with a snide remark of some kind she had managed not to turn her potions into tar like substances for the most part. Slughorn cleared his throat.

'-anyway my dear; what I was trying to say was, and I hope you don't let this worry you, is that I was thinking that I was a little hasty in inviting you into the Slug club so soon. I mean we do a lot of very advanced magical training you see and much of it would be almost impossible for a first year-'

Lily's stomach tightened. So he was uninviting her. She should have known this was coming. If he had taken the trouble to find out her timetable surely he'd also heard how badly she had been doing in her other classes.

'Is Poppy Balfour still invited?' She asked suddenly.

'Well... yes dear... but you know, she really is quite exceptional...' Slughorn spluttered.

Lily sighed. She couldn't argue with that.

'Right, understood sir. No problem, sir' she made sure to leave the classroom as fast as she could to put the agitated Professor out of his misery.

Both Albus and James had been made members of Professor Slughorns club during their first years and both of them had managed to get the marks to insure their membership was never questioned. Lily had never particularly even wanted to be part of the club- Albus often complained about how boring Slughorns dinners could be. But having her membership taken away within less than a week seemed like a sure sign that something was very wrong with Lily's magical performance.

Lily headed to the library as always. Though there was unlikely to be anything she hadn't already read on the subject, she wanted to revise about quidditch strategies before the tryouts tomorrow. James had let her in on the fact that there was only one position going so it was likely to be a tough tryout with the possibility that none of the first years would get chosen high. Lily couldn't stand the thought of not being able to do the one thing she felt she actually excelled at for a whole year.

When she arrived at the small wooden table, she was surprised to see that Malfoy wasn't there. It was the first time that she had arrived to find the table empty and she was somewhat disappointed to be alone. She sat down and began to read hoping that he would come and join her after a while. Some of his books lay in a neat pile to one side. But over an hour passed and there was no sign of him.

Lily grew bored of her book and placed it down in front of her. Perhaps even Malfoy didn't want to be around someone so inept at magic- Slughorn certainly had made it clear that he didn't. Perhaps the reason she didn't like to be alone she reflected, was because then all she was left with were her thoughts about her own sorry situation. Whether she would ever be able to perform a spell correctly; whether she would ever make any true friends here.

Lily looked over at Malfoys books. They were all rather old and tattered, most of them were so faded the titles couldn't be read. She looked around her; still no sign at all of Malfoy. Lily reached out an arm and pulled the pile towards her. What was Malfoy always reading here, over the hours and hours, days and days that he spent in the library?

Lily gingerly opened the cover of the top book and flicked over a few pages. The book contained moving illustrations on one side of each page and detailed explanations of some kind on the other in small writing. Lily's stomach churned at the sight of the illustrations flicking past. Each one contained a picture of a person writhing in agony, many of them were extremely bloody. There was a man with snakes eating their way out of his stomach; a woman whose eyes began to melt down her face; a child who was pulling out their own hair. Though they were silent Lily felt as though she could hear their screams. She dropped the book quickly.

She sat in a horrified silence. Was this really what Malfoy had been reading the whole time he sat peacefully across from her? Her heart beat fast; perhaps it had been a coincidence. She reached out for another book and opened it. Inside it read 'dark blood curses of the ages'. She felt sick but oddly compelled to read further. Thankfully there were no illustrations in this one but the text was nauseating enough. It contained detailed instructions on how to curse a lover who had cheated on you, making their lips forever poisonous to whomever they came into contact with, on how to cause the children of someone who had scorned you to grow up to despise their parents, on how to make food turn to ash in the mouth of your enemy whenever they ate.

'Looking to place a curse on someone Potter?'

Malfoys soft voice sounded from behind her causing her to drop the book she had been holding. She stood up quickly and turned to look at him.

He was holding some more tattered books and stood facing her with a look of obvious displeasure at her snooping.

She stared back at him, her face unable to hide how sick she felt.

'Those books are awful' she whispered horrified.

Malfoy shrugged.

'Its not all floating feathers and Hiccoughing Potions. Magic can be awful'

Lily grabbed her quidditch book and shoved it quickly into her bag, swinging the bag swiftly over her shoulder. She shoved her way past Malfoy without meeting his eyes and ran out of the library.

She had been sure that Albus had been wrong about the Malfoy boy, but now she was sure that she was the one who had been mistaken.


	10. The Tryouts

On the day of the quidditch tryouts Lily was the first applicant to show up; in fact she was so early that James, Albus and the rest of the team hadn't even started setting up yet and she had to wait on the stands whilst they did.

A handful of second year Gryffindors petered out into the grounds followed by Alanna Hooch and Poppy Balfour.

James yelled for them all to come down and line up by the side lines. Professor Claudas stood there with a roll of parchment held stiff by an invisible clipboard taking down names. He looked less than impressed at the fact both Lily and Poppy had shown up.

James explained that they would take it in turns to try to get the Quaffle past a three person team made up of a beater, a chaser and a keeper from the current Gryffindor team. The number of goals scored within their time limit would be reflected in their final score. In addition good flying form and speed could earn them extra points (these would be granted by Professor Claudas). The rest of them would fly in the mean time on the other side of the field and try to catch the snitch. The remainder of the Gryffindor team would be there to try to prevent them from doing so. Anyone who did manage to catch the snitch would receive an additional ten points for each catch.

It was a convoluted system to be sure, but one which ensured that the best player would be given the uniform and that suited Lily just fine.

'There is only one spot open-' James explained and a ripple of scandalized whispers broke out.

'-and that position is for a chaser' he clarified raising his voice louder over the whispers.

'But we need a chaser who is able to fill in as a seeker. For if…' He shot Albus a quick look. Albus's face was telling him plainly not to go on.

'Well for if Albus is… sick… for some reason' he muttered.

Albus shook his head and walked off to release the snitch. Lily knew James was referring to the fact that Albus was often the target of food that had been sneakily laden with all manner of potions before Gryffindor matches with Slytherin.

'So we'll go in alphabetical order- starting with Miss Balfour' James said offering what Lily thought was far too kind a smile in Poppy's direction.

Poppy's broom shook in her hand as she went to mount it. For someone so brilliant at everything, she wasn't very good at hiding her nerves Lily reflected.

'The rest of you can start hunting for the snitch. Begin!' James yelled before heading off to act as chaser in the three person offense against Poppy.

Lily tried hard to focus on looking for a glint of gold on her side of the pitch but she was terribly interested to find out how Poppy was going. A cheer of encouragement from James a few minutes in let her know that Poppy had managed to get at least one goal in. She closed her eyes and willed herself to focus on the task at hand. Opening them again, she flew up high in order to get a better view from above only to be blocked by Albus. He certainly wasn't playing favorites.

Lily tried several times to dash past him but he continued to block her over and over. Instead she dove down sharply to get him off her tail before doing a speedy loop around the outskirts of the pitch. Still no sign of that darn snitch.

After a few more minutes Poppy's time was up and Professor Claudas read out her score as it currently stood; 10 points- the exact amount she had scored for herself. Her flying form hadn't impressed him much it seemed. Poppy looked sour as she flew over to join the rest of the snitch hunting hopefuls.

Lily didn't hear any other cheers whilst two second years took their turns one after each other. Either James had gone easy on the nervous looking Poppy, or his team of three had really picked up their game. No one seemed able to get past them. That was, until it was Alanna's turn.

Lily forgot about the snitch for a few moments as she watched Alanna in awe. Her form was amazing. And she was so fast. She would have made a much better rival for Lily to race around the Hogwarts grounds. Alanna promptly scored two goals right after each other. James was so flustered that he didn't even give her a supportive cheer as he had done for Poppy. Instead he barked orders at the keeper in order to improve their offense against the threat that was Alanna Hooch.

It worked and they managed to keep her at bay until just before her time was up when she snuck in another goal. But Professor Claudas, who had been positively beaming at her throughout her whole trial, awarder her an additional 15 points for good form on top of the 30 she had scored giving her a leading total of 45 points. Alanna took it all in her stride, cool as a cucumber.

The next second year in line, Thomas Hugues- who Lily recognised as a good friend of Albus's- threw his hands up in the air and exclaimed 'You know, I think I better get back to my potions essay- nice work there Hooch' before heading off back to the castle. Albus yelled after him in protest but he had obviously made up his mind that Alanna was too high of a hurdle to overcome.

But Lily wasn't going to let anything stop her- not Alanna's beautiful flying form or her intimidatingly high score. She keenly felt that she needed this spot on the team if she was going to survive the year at Hogwarts.

When James called her name she flew down to the ground and took a few deep breaths. She would need to get at least as many goals as Alanna and to look better doing it in order to get the extra points from Claudas. She straddled her broom again and fixed her posture before kicking off at full speed. Speed had always been her forte. Even James who had been playing in actual quidditch games for the past few years couldn't match Lily's speed. She resolved to keep flying at full speed throughout her trial to try to increase the number of times she might have a go at getting a goal in within the time frame- and more importantly to impress Professor Claudas. She flew straight at James hitting his broom with the end of her own and sending him into a spin as she shot by. That ensured at least that he wouldn't be on her tail as she headed for the goal. A bludger came flying her way and Lily let it get within a whisker of her before dodging it sharply in order to ensure she kept up her pace. She flew right between the Johnathan Adderley's (who was playing as Keeper) legs and through the round goal with the Quaffle in her arms, scoring herself her first goal within seconds of the starting whistle.

Next she changed tactics and flew very high above the goals. To her delight the team of three followed her upwards. Once she had got them as far away from the goals as she could muster she dropped the Quaffle. They looked surprised until she dove for it so fast that she was able to beat it down to goal level and spin kick it into the goal, right past Johnathan's neck.

Lily now had two goals but she was running out of surprise tactics. She flew with the Quaffle to the outskirts of the pitch but the team of three weren't budging this time. After a few laps back and forth the bludger came flying her way. That was her cue. She curved around allowing the bludger to get on her tail and follow her. She flew with it still following her right past a confused James who decided to join it on her tail. She then curved around and made a beeline for the middle goal which was being well-guarded by Johnathan. She lifted the Quaffle up with both hands as though to throw it past him but instead used her legs to direct her broom upwards at the last minute, to the effect that the bludger (and a confused James) went crashing into Johnathan. She took the chance to turn around on her upward moving broom and pelt the Quaffle into the open goals.

She tried not to let herself feel too relieved. She would still need one more goal to really seal the deal- even if Professor Claudas gave her 15 points for speed and form, a tie with Alanna wouldn't be enough. She was running out of time and strategies. She decided all she could do was wing it and hope to outfly them with speed.

She took the Quaffle for one last belt across the grounds towards the goals. James flew straight up to meet her and she dodged him easily but to her surprise a bludger came at her from the other side and she dropped the Quaffle. She didn't let herself stop, though it had caused her quite a bit of pain to her side. If she let that Quaffle hit the ground or fall into James' hands it would be over- she didn't have enough time left. So she dived down unable to see well as her eyes watered from the pain.

She grabbed the Quaffle with one outstretched hand just before it reached James open arms. Without a moment of hesitation she flew with it right at Johnathan. He didn't budge. Neither did she.

She plowed right into his stomach with the Quaffle still in her arms, sending Johnathan gasping as they both fell through the hoop behind him.

She had done it. The Whistle blew.

Lily apologized to a gasping Johnathan who gave her an impressed thumbs up and a smirk before rushing back down to ground.

Professor Claudas was looking at his parchment with a frown. It was quite a different expression to the one he had worn when Alanna had been flying. Lily waited with baited breath for him to announce her score. He sighed and said-

'Forty points, Miss Potter'

Lily's smile faded.

'B-but sir!' She spluttered in dismay. She had scored more than Alanna, had flown as fast as she could, had tried to keep her form to a T and had used every strategy she could think of. How could he not award her any additional points at all?

'Run along, we 'ave o'zer students to see yet' the Professor admonished her.

She wanted to protest, but there was no point. She'd given Claudas a bad impression and now he didn't want to award her anything at all- she would just have to catch that snitch.

She jumped back on her broom and flew again at the same fast pace towards the other end of the field. None of the students had managed to catch the snitch yet. Some were beginning to wonder if there even was one. But Lily didn't have the time to wonder about such things, all she knew was that she needed to find it or her chances of joining the team would be lost.

Albus's earlier disruption of her flying upwards to get a better vantage point was her only clue. She shot upward, knowing he'd be there to stop her.

He was. But this time Lily didn't care. She flew straight at him and he only just managed to get out of her way at the last minute (yelling a few words that would make Ginny glare daggers at him if she had been there as he did so).

Lily looked up into the clouds as she shot upward and upward. Sure enough, there was a glimmer of gold hidden against the bright white reflection of the clouds. She went straight for it.

Her sudden movements unfortunately alerted Alanna to her discovery. Miss Hooch was on her within seconds, shocking Lily with her speed. They were shoulder to shoulder as they rose higher and higher. Lily's arms were not as long as Alanna's. The fact was horrifyingly apparent as both girl's already had their arms outstretched as they raced each other to the snitch. Lily willed herself to go faster. She pleaded with her broom in her mind.

Alanna's fingertips had just grazed the golden surface of the snitch when Lily's broom propelled forward in a last spurt of speed and she clasp her hand around it. She was so desperate for the snitch that in her disbelief at having actually caught it she pulled it to her chest and dove down with it in her arms until she reached the ground. She didn't even allow herself to dismount properly, not wanting to take either hand off her prize. Instead she fell off in a heap right in front of Professor Claudas and the last second year contestant who had just finished being awarded 10 points. Lily thrust her hands out to show the Professor what she had in them. He let out the longest and most nerve racking sigh Lily had ever heard before muttering, 'Seems Miss Potter has won with 50 points'.

Lily fell back onto the grass in exhaustion and relief, the snitch still wriggling in her palm. Alanna flew back down and walked quickly away. Poppy let out a disbelieving gasp and followed her. Professor Claudas also made himself scarce, seeming to want to be elsewhere as soon as possible and within a few moments only the Gryffindor team remained.

James walked over to where Lily was still collapsed on the ground and threw something at her. Lily caught it and held it up to the sky to look at it. It was a Gryffindor jersey.

'Knew you could do it Lils' James grinned at her proudly.

Lily held the garment to her cheeks and giggled happily. James' smile grew. Lily was finally looking like the cheerful sister he had grown up with.


	11. The 'S' word

'How did you do it Lily? Everyone thought Alanna was going to be chosen- Thomas Hugues came back telling everyone she had won it!'

Though both girls were once again running late for History of Magic after the changing staircases had completely thrown them off their usual course to get there, Hazel pressed Lily for more details of the tryouts.

Unfortunately for Lily, as Thomas had only stuck around to see Alanna's jaw-dropping performance on the field, no-one (except those who had actually been there) had any indication that Lily had in fact earned her victory and place on the team. It didn't help that Lily's performance in all her classes was infamously abysmal to the effect that no-one could really picture her succeeding to such an extent as to beat the incredible Alanna Hooch.

There had been some nasty whispers that her victory had been due to nepotism- such gossip wasn't hard to throw together considering her elder brother was the team captain and the entire Gryffindor team was mostly made up of her relatives- in fact almost everyone apart from Johnathan Adderly was either a Potter or a Weasley.

Lily sighed 'Well I just got more goals than Alanna did… and then I caught the snitch… and well…'

Despite their pressing situation and Lily's reluctance to explain every single point she managed to achieve (she really wished Hazel would just take her word for it), Hazel was more adamant than anyone to know the full story. She was just about to ask for a reenactment of Lily's goals when a booming voice yelled down the corridor at them.

'Oi! Potter!'

The girls spun around. It was Raul Pucey, the troll-sized Slytherin boy. He stood at the end of the corridor they had just come from gaping at Lily with a somewhat terrifyingly happy grin.

Hazel, who was not the bravest of girls (Lily sometimes wondered how she had been sorted into Gryffindor) gave a tiny squeak of terror and quickly walked off leaving Lily to confront him alone.

'For Merlin's sake, why does everyone have to choose a Monday morning to initiate a chat with me…' Lily muttered to herself as she made her way back down the corridor to Raul.

'What's that Potter?' Raul said in his booming voice.

'Nothing…' Lily said quickly coming to a stop in front of him.

'Names Raul' the boys grin grew wider and he shot out his enormous hand for her to shake. Lily took it reluctantly looking him up and down apprehensively.

'Lily' she said in return. Raul then used his other hand to give her a rough slap on the back which she supposed was meant in some sort of gesture of friendliness but which almost sent her flying off her feet.

'Heard you made the quidditch team' Raul gave her an approving nod.

'I did…' Lily wasn't sure where this was going but she didn't have a good feeling about it.

'Me too' Raul's chin shot up proudly. 'So you'd better watch yourself on the field ay, Lily Potter?'

Raul's conduct was slightly confusing- she wasn't sure if he was trying to be friendly or threatening. Either way she was late to class and quite frankly not in the mood to be talked down to by a socially awkward giant.

'okay… will do' she said half-heartedly and started to walk away.

'I'm keeper!' He yelled after her, still grinning wildly.

'Makes sense I guess' Lily yelled back without turning around.

Lily managed to get around the corner, putting some space between herself and Raul before she heard his booming voice following along behind her. He appeared to have been joined by someone else.

'-What do you mean Horon? I was just talking to her-' he boomed at someone, apparently unaware of how loud he was.

'That's Carrow to you Pucey. Just because we let you on the team doesn't make us best friends all of a sudden'

It wasn't often that Lily felt a strong aversion to others, but the voice of Raul's company made Lily's skin immediately crawl. There was something about it's steady, low tone that repelled her completely.

'Sorry Carrow, Sir' It was the first time Lily had heard Raul's voice at a normal inside volume, all the boisterousness from a few minutes ago dead.

'Make a habit of talking to squibs do we Pucey?' Horon's voice plunged far lower and deadlier than Raul's.

'Because if you do, you might soon find you aren't on the team after all' he threatened.

It took a few confused seconds before Lily realized that Horon was referring to her. She felt sick to the stomach. Not wanting to hear anymore of the terrible things this stranger had to say about her she broke into a run down the cobble-stoned corridor in what she prayed would be the right direction of Professor Binns' class.

Lily had hoped to sit in the back row and remain unnoticed as she snuck in late to the class. But alas the only seat was at the very front row and as Professor Binns lecture was failing to maintain any of the students attention, all eyes were on her when she crept in.

She slowly made her walk of shame to the front row, thankful that at least the Professor seemed unaware of her entrance and continued to drone on.

But as she took her seat a worrying eruption of whispers could be heard from the tables behind her. Hazel, who was sitting at the seat directly behind hers let out the loudest gasp, causing even Professor Binns to look up in surprise.

'Lily!' she hissed frantically. Lily was filled with dread- it was uncharacteristic of Hazel to talk at all whilst a Professor was teaching.

'Your- your robes!' Hazel's eyes were wide with panic.

Lily looked back at the class and realized that all the students had been staring fixedly at her back. She heard a sickening echo erupt from several students mouths of Horon's words from a few moments earlier- 'squib'.

Lily quickly took off her robe and turned it around so that she could get a clear look at the back. To her horror the words on everyone lips were there in white messy writing splashed across the back of her black robe.

The class was silent for a few moments. Even Professor Binns kept quiet as he tried to get a better look at what had been written, squinting and adjusting his glasses from where he was standing on his podium.

Lily's hands shook, her mind racing. Had Horon done this? How could he have, when she hadn't even seen him? Was is Raul? Had he managed to use some kind of spell when he had hit her on the back?

Lily's eyes shot up at the faces of her classmates all staring at her. Her eyes locked with Poppy's who seemed unsurprised by the events unfolding before her. Poppy, who shared a dormitory with her- could she have done this before Lily had even left that morning? Lily certainly wouldn't put it past her.

'What does that say Miss Potter?' Binns broke the silence with his creaky voice.

Lily looked over at him. She couldn't say it. It was too awful too contemplate let alone put into words. She quickly stood up and ran out of the classroom.

The word followed her around like a curse.

Lily had hoped scrubbing the awful white words out of her robes would be enough to get rid of them, but she was wrong.

Suddenly, the theory that Lily Potter was in fact not a witch seemed rather convincing to those for whom it had not yet occurred to.

It was also a terribly unfathomable idea to anyone who knew any of the history of the war against Lord Voldemort- the very thought that the daughter of Harry Potter himself could be non-magical! But that made it all the more of an addictively interesting story which caught on like fiendfyre around the castle.

Lily, who had thus far managed to gain the enmity of Poppy and to upset Alanna's pride, was quite used to other students avoiding her. But the new rumours upset her even more than the ones people had been whispering about her unfairly winning her way onto the quidditch team because of the fact that they instilled in Lily a very real worry that she may in fact be what everyone said she was- a squib.

As much as she tried, she still could not make her wand emit even the smallest wisp of magic.

If her inability to perform magic had been embarrassing before, now it was almost unbearable. She felt like she could hear her fellow students thoughts every time she failed confirming their suspicions that she did not belong there.

Lily could have perhaps dealt with the whole ordeal if she at least had Hazel's support. But even that proved unmaintainable.

She saw less and less of Hazel in the mornings and often found herself walking alone to classes. At first Lily assumed that Hazel was just eager to make sure she wasn't late as they sometimes ended up being when they walked together. But this proved not to be the case.

Her troubles culminated in a Herbology class in which Professor Longbottom asked them to get into pairs to work on some rarer plants- pairs they would be in for the rest of the semester.

Lily immediately turned to Hazel who with a little squeak characteristic of Hazel when she was under pressure, avoided Lily's gaze and quickly asked a surprised Ariana Aethelwulf if she would be her pair for the rest of the semester. To Lily's embarrassment, she ended up paired with Professor Longbottom himself.

When she went back to the dormitory that evening she made her way over to Hazel who immediately jumped up and rattled off an explanation before Lily had time to even exhale.

'It's not that I think you're bad at Herbology Lily- you're actually quite good, which is strange because I would've thought you'd need a lot of magic for that. Not that I think you are non-magical!' Hazel was digging herself into a hole in front of Lily who was yet to get a word in.

'It's just that if there is some slight chance that you may not be at Hogwarts for the rest of the semester... well then I'd be stuck without a partner in Herbology- I'd be stuck without any friends at all!' she finished in a panicked frenzy.

Lily couldn't find it in herself to blame Hazel. A lack of friendship certainly was proving painful. And who was she to force Hazel to hang around her when she had become the most avoided girl in school.

'I'm sorry!' Hazel gasped as though only just realizing that what she had said might hurt Lily's feelings.

'It's alright' Lily said finally getting a chance to speak.

'Just wanted to give you this' she mumbled thrusting a chocolate frog card she had been meaning to give Hazel for some time into her palm. It was of a handsome dark-haired wizard who had appeared on the cover of Witch Weekly recently and who Hazel seemed to adore.

'oh... it's Roger Raleigh' Hazel sighed her eyes glittering. 'He's quite rare you know...' she mumbled dreamily.

'I know' Lily said numbly.

Those were the last words Lily would exchange with Hazel Creevey for quite some time.

That night, in her fourposter dorm bed as the other girls' slept soundly, Hazel's words haunted her.

Did she really think that Lily was going to be expelled from Hogwarts for being a squib?

If even Hazel thought so, what chance did Lily have of ever proving she was a witch?

That is, if she was in fact a witch.

A wave of loneliness rushed over Lily and she felt her throat tighten. She tried to blink back the tears but they came running down her cheeks one after the other and she had to fight back sobs to make sure she didn't wake any of the other girls. She had never felt so pitiful. It was the first time that Lily ever found herself wishing that she wasn't who she was- that she hadn't been born Lily Potter.

She threw off her covers. She felt suddenly hot and knew that she wouldn't be able to keep her sobs quiet for long. Lily let herself out of the dormitory and down the staircase, past the common room and all the way out through the Fat Lady's portrait hole. She needed cool air. She felt trapped.

She walked aimlessly, trying to put distance between herself and the Gryffindor tower as her sobs grew louder and less controllable. Eventually she let herself slide down the wall next to her and into a pitiful heap crying on the floor.

Not knowing what else to do and at her wit's end, she pleaded in her head to the silence around her.

'Please, someone- anyone- please help me to perform magic. Show me how I can do this.'

She tried to contain her tears by putting her palms to her eyes but only succeeded in soaking them. Suddenly she saw a flash of light from between her fingers.

She raised her head and saw that the light was coming from the edges of a door in the wall right before her.

She hadn't noticed it when she had stumbled onto the floor there, but then again she had been quite distracted. He sobs subsided as her curiosity grew.

Without much thought for the possible consequences she arose and turned the doorknob in front of her. The door opened up to a room of blinding light.

She stepped inside, shutting the door behind her which had the effect of somehow shutting off the light. As her eyes adjusted to the now dim room, Lily realized it was almost completely empty. She walked a few paces forward and saw a single portrait painting hanging on the wall. It was the small rooms only piece of furniture.

The man in the portrait had elbow length hair and a long hooked nose. His eyes were shut and Lily thought he must be asleep. She peered at him more closely.

Lily felt an odd affinity with the man, though he looked quite stern even in his slumber and his hair seemed a little greasy.

She looked down at the plaque at the bottom of his frame.

Letters engraved into gold in cursive writing read 'The Half-Blood Prince'.

So he was a Prince... Lily thought wonderingly reading it over again with a furrow in her brow.

'Lily-!' the man said in a gasp, his eyes flickering open.


	12. Emerald Eyes

'How do you know me?'

This was Lily's first question to the stranger in the portrait who had suddenly called out her name.

The man was silent for a moment, staring at her. Lily thought she saw all manner of emotions run through his eyes, though she could not quite put her finger on what exactly he might be feeling. After a long pause his face fell into despair and he said; 'I'm sorry- I thought you were someone else'.

'But I am Lily' she said confused 'Lily Potter'

'You must be Harry Potter's daughter' he looked somehow disappointed.

'Yes I am!' Lily should have known by now that that would be the reason why anyone might know her.

'And who are you sir?' She asked him, suddenly feeling a little shy to be in the presence of a Prince.

'Just an old acquaintance of your fathers…' the man said dismissively.

Lily thought for a moment. How was it that she had come to be in this room with this strange portrait of a Prince? Was it even possible to be a half muggle, half pureblood prince, she wondered. All the royal people she had ever heard of in history books were either muggles who reigned over the muggle world or purebloods who had rained over magical kingdoms of old. Though now that she thought of it Poppy had mentioned something about her posh relatives having magical blood.

'Why were you crying?' The man asked suddenly.

Lily remembered with some embarrassment that her face was tear-stained and most likely the blotchy red colour it always turned when she cried. She thought about telling the Prince about her lack of magical ability and the trouble it was causing her. But when she really searched herself she found that wasn't the reason for her sadness.

'Because… I have no friends' she said internally grimacing at how pitiful she sounded.

'ah…' he said softly, looking her over with a gentle gaze.

Lily looked away and down to her feet. She wasn't sure what she had expected from telling a painting her greatest worry.

'I didn't have any friends when I was here either' the man said thoughtfully.

'You went to Hogwarts Sir?' Lily was surprised. She supposed that Hogwarts really was the greatest of all the magical schools to be taking in royalty.

'I did' he replied lightly.

'So how did you survive it here Sir? Without friends?' Lily was desperate to know.

'I didn't' he gave her a sad little smile. 'That is to say- I wouldn't have if I hadn't found just one very good friend to help me through it'.

'oh…' said Lily. But of-course, she thought. No-one could surely get by for seven years here without even one friend. Though she supposed that Malfoy and Lysander seemed to be doing okay without any.

'You only need one' the Prince seemed to pick up on her distress.

'Would you be my friend then Sir?' The words had left Lily's mouth almost involuntarily and she blushed as they reached her ears.

The Prince was again silent for a moment. Lily found it very hard to read him. She was just about to retract her question when he said-

'Yes I will Lily'

'Thank you' said Lily rather awkwardly, unsure of how else to reply.

'You can come to me with anything' he added kindly.

'But-' He thought for a moment, 'You should know- I'm dead'

'You're a reflection of someone who used to be…' Lily repeated the words that her father had told her years ago when she was a little girl and very interested in all things to do with the Hogwarts castle.

'Yes' he said 'Just a collection of thoughts and memories'

'Hmmm… I think that's okay' lily decided out-loud 'You can still be a friend'

She was thinking about how much the Fat Lady seemed to like James because he always heaped flattery upon her whenever he entered the tower. It seemed to help on the odd occasions that he and Johnathan snuck out late at night.

'Perhaps there is something I can help you with' the Prince said.

'That my thoughts and memories can help you with' he clarified.

'Why do you suppose that?' Lily asked curiously.

'Because you are here in this room where I woke up for the first time' he said simply.

'You're usually somewhere else?' Lily was surprised. So this room was as new to him as it was to her.

'Yes, usually up a little higher in the castle… in a different frame' he looked at the gold that encased him with a frown.

'So tell me then' Lily said eagerly.

'please' she added on remembering he was of high stature.

'Tell you what?' The Prince looked at her quizzically.

'All your thoughts and memories!' Her tear-stained face burst into a bright smile.

The painting of the Prince relented and spent the night telling her all that he knew of the deceased man who he represented. Mostly he told her about his childhood and how his friend who he had meet when he was very young had always stood up for him when he was bullied at Hogwarts. He went so far as to tell her that is friend had been quite beautiful even. But he was quite vague about many of the details, such as what had happened to her and how they had parted ways at the end.

He indulged her many questions until she found herself struggling to get them all out between yawns and reluctantly had to take her leave to get back to her bed.

'Well I don't know if any of that has helped' he sighed.

'It has helped me to realize something' Lily said.

'That one really does need a good friend' she smiled at him before turning to let herself out of the small room and back into the corridor which was now light from the dawn sunlight.

Somehow meeting the Prince had given Lily great confidence to keep plodding along in her studies and to ignore the nasty gossip about her which did not appear to be dying down anytime soon.

Though she spent more time alone than ever, she forced herself to try to be the cheerful person she had been growing up in the Potter household before she had started her magical schooling at Hogwarts.

Nothing cheered her more than another letter from Hagrid asking her to come to tea that Saturday evening again. Lily made sure to ignore anything Poppy said or did that might normally have gotten under her skin so as to avoid getting into any trouble and having to cancel her important promise to Hagrid.

She managed it and when the promised time came hurdled down the lawns with glee towards his hut. He was waiting outside his door for her and looked very chuffed by her enthusiasm. She ran straight at him and gave him a large hug.

'Yer look very 'appy Lily' he said cheerfully 'somethin' good 'appen?'

'Just happy to see you' she said with her brightest smile.

'Good, cause I 'ave someone I want yer to meet'

He lead her inside to where he had the fireplace going though it was still bright outside. Lily saw that there was a basket placed in front of the fire, lined with a fuzzy blanket.

Hagrid motioned towards it and she gingerly crept closer. Before she had made it close enough to see inside a small furry white head stuck up.

It was a kitten. A kitten with the most beautiful emerald eyes Lily had ever seen- in fact they looked just like her own.

'oh' she let out a little gasp 'She's so beautiful Hagrid'

'I'm a 'he' actually' the white creature meowed at her.

Lily almost jumped in surprise. Had it really just spoken?

'That's a 'e actaully' Hagrid corrected her oblivious to Lily's surprise.

'I know!' Lily exclaimed 'He just- Hagrid he just spoke to me'

'Yes, nice to meet you too' the voice came again with a hint of sarcasm.

'I knew it!' Hagrid said proudly, 'I knew he was the right one for you Lily- those eyes! Just the same as yours…'

'So you can't hear him Hagrid?' Lily asked in confusion.

'And oh yes sorry, it is nice to meet you!' She shot hurriedly at the tiny white creature now stretching out it's claws onto the blanket.

'Could you give me a name already?' The creature demanded her. 'It's been so dull to be referred to as 'It' and 'he' all this time- and you really are quite late to come get me' he added with some annoyance.

'Are you to be mine?' Lily felt pure joy and was completely unfazed by the creatures tone of annoyance.

'E's all yours if you'll 'ave 'im' Hagrid said.

'Of course she'll have me- who wouldn't? I'm fabulous' The creature gave a long meow.

'He's fabulous' Lily repeated with a giggle. The creature thrust it's snout in her direction as if to say 'get on with it'.

'You'll be…' Lily thought hard.

'Fides' Lily finished, thinking back on the name of a children's book character from a book her father had often read her as a child.

'right-o then' Fides was quite indifferent.

Lily walked forward and gathered him up in her arms, to which Fides gave a high meow of protest.

'Don't squeeze- whatever you do just don't squeeze. First rule of having a familiar.' He warned her.

'What's the second rule then?' She asked him, rubbing her nose against his happily in an eskimo kiss.

'Undying loyalty and friendship' Fides said with gravity.

'Just what I was looking for' Lily said making Hagrid's face break into a joyous smile.


	13. The Slytherin Ghost

Lily sat on one of the large cushy arm chairs in the Gryffindor common room with the tiny Fides curled up on her lap. Albus, who shared Lily's love for all creatures magical and non-magical, had pulled his own chair up as close as possible in order that he might get a better look at him. Though many of her classmates and fellow Gryffindors had stopped Lily to ask about her new companion that followed her everywhere- even into her classes- Albus was by far the most enamored with Fides.

'Why does he only talk to you?' Albus asked. The hint of jealously in his voice was only discernible to Lily who could read her brother like a book.

'Hagrid said it was because he's 'imprinted' on me… Kneazles do that when they find someone they deem to be their familiar'

'He can't be a pure Kneazle though can he?' Albus said. 'Pure breeds have an XXX classification are strictly regulated by the ministry-'

'Of course not' Lily said quickly and with completely unfounded confidence. 'Hagrid would never do something to get me into trouble'

Albus looked less certain.

'mmm… well I suppose he doesn't have any of the colouring that Kneazles are said to have- no spots or flecks or anything…'

Indeed Fides was the most pure white cat either of the siblings had ever laid eyes on. Albus was just examining his tail when James appeared.

'What's going on here then-' James froze in surprise as Lily, Albus and even Fides all turned to look up at him.

It truly was an odd sight- the three of them all staring back at him with the same emerald eyes.

'woah- did you two enchant a cat to look just like you or…?' James looked from Lily to Albus and back again for an explanation.

Lily picked Fides up off her lap and stood to introduce him to James.

Fides had brought Lily companionship and for at least a little while, taken some of the focus off the rumors that she might be a squib. But Lily still spent very little time talking to her classmates who all seemed to have formed their own friendships and social habits by now and paid little attention to her.

That night, Lily's desire to introduce Fides to her first true friend at Hogwarts got the better of her and she threw off her covers and snuck out of the tower.

Fides, who had been snoozing all afternoon, griped about needing more beauty sleep but followed along loyally just the same. Lily tried hard to remember where it was that she had walked aimlessly that night when she had met the Prince.

She had a faint memory of a nearby tapestry which depicted prancing trolls. Lily looked up and down several different corridors until she came upon one that she was certain must be where she had found the small room. The tapestry was there on the wall showing a man trying to get the trolls on it to dance with a little more coordination. But there was no sign of the door.

A grumbling Fides made sure they promptly went back to bed that night but Lily, stubborn as always, was determined to find her friend the Prince once more. She recalled that he had mentioned he was usually to be found in a higher room in the castle, in a different frame and decided her best bet was to look for him there.

She took to searching the castle during dinner times, which she did not enjoy as she found it awkward to pretend that it didn't bother her that her she had no choice but to sit with her brothers and their friends. She also liked the fact that dinner time left the castle almost completely empty of teachers and students, giving her the freedom to roam without fear of being seen or whispered about.

Though the castle was expansive and full of changing staircases and portraits, Lily found that after a few weeks of exploring she had gotten quite a good grasp of the layout of the place. She focused on searching the highest parts of the castle first. She would spend a few evenings looking through each tower in turn. But though she searched and even inquired with some of the inhabitants of the many frames she came across, there was no sign of her Prince. Nobody seemed to know anything about any person of royalty who had once attended Hogwarts.

On one such night, Lily was searching the Ravenclaw tower and came across a very dusty ballroom with mirrors all over the walls. She walked into the large room gingerly and headed towards it's centre to where there hung a large crystal chandelier.

Fides was riding on her shoulder, having tired from walking up the many steps to get there.

She had thought he had been taking a nap as he often did and was surprised when he said into her ear;

'You do know we're being followed don't you?'

Lily stopped suddenly.

'What do you mean? There's no one here' she hissed back, looking around herself and into all the empty mirrors.

Fides gave a long sigh. 'You mean to say- you haven't noticed the boy following us for the past few nights?'

'What boy-' Lily had begun to say when she saw a flicker of movement in the corner of the mirror on the wall a few meters in front of her. She rushed over to where the mirror was hoping in vain to somehow catch the moving creature.

Lily spoke up then, letting her voice ring out in the empty hall.

'Come out! We saw you!'

There was nothing but silence in return. She sighed.

'Well that didn't work' Fides said unhelpfully.

Lily looked on either side of her but there was no sign of anyone. She looked back at the mirror just inches from her face and let out a scream at the reflection of a boy in Slytherin robes standing right behind her.

She quickly gathered her wits and turned around to face the boy. It was then that she realized that this boy was not in fact a boy at all, but the silvery ghost of one.

He had very neat dark hair and clear blue eyes which looked piercingly into her own.

'Who are you?' She asked weakly, her nerves failing her.

'Alasdair Quintin' He said with a faint smile.

'And what do you want Alasdair Quintin?' Lily was able to speak more firmly this time.

'To lie in the soft brown earth with the grasses waving above my head' he replied continuing to smile.

Lily didn't know what she had expected the ghost to say, but it certainly wasn't that. She stood in silence staring at him, not knowing how to proceed.

'I think you can help me Lily Potter' He filled the silence for her.

'And why do you think that?' She was genuinely curious.

'Because I've been watching you- and you're different to the others. The other students I mean'

'Well that's very creepy' Fides said into her ear. But Lily noted that he spoke in his usual uninterested drawl and did not seem to be on his guard at all.

Lily herself did not feel any sense that this mysterious ghost might be malicious in any way, though she supposed she should seeing as he had just revealed he had been spying on her.

'I'll help you if I can… If it doesn't involve doing anyone any harm' she clarified just to be on the safe side.

Fides let out a sigh at her proclamation. 'Couldn't we just have said no to the strange boy asking us for strange things?'

'He's a ghost Fides, he can follow us wherever we go you know?'

Alasdair was watching their conversation amused, though he could only hear Lily's side of it.

'I won't be following you around un-announced anymore Lily' he tried to placate her. 'Now that we understand one another- that we're friends'

'So what is it that you need exactly-' Lily began to ask before Alasdair cut her off hurriedly.

'There will be time for that later! First I must make sure to return the favor- see you in class!' He exclaimed before promptly soaring up and through the ceiling out of sight above them.

'But I haven't done anything yet to do you a favor!' Lily yelled after him in vain. He was already gone.

'So…' said Fides breaking the silence as she stared up at the ceiling.

'…Why is it that all your friends are dead strangers?'

Though she had spent weeks searching for the Prince to no avail, Alasdair made himself known to Lily (as he had promised) the very next day in her potions class. She was focusing on making sure the Dittany roots she was chopping were sliced to be exactly one inch in length, when a familiar Scottish accent hissed at her from below.

'Morning Lily!' He grinned up at her, his head sticking out of the side of the bench just beside her stool.

'Make them roots a little longer and the potion will turn out stronger' he advised her in a whisper so as not to alert the other students to his presence. As Lily was at a bench by herself at the back of the class, he succeeded in keeping a low profile.

To Lily's delight, Alasdair's help in her classes proved very useful. With his tips (none of which she had ever read in any of her books), she was able to brew potions even better than before. He also whispered answers to her professors questions in many of her other classes. The closest anybody came to discovering that she had help was Professor Montespan who simply raised an eyebrow at the sudden improvement in her knowledge about reversal spells.

Her improvements did not go unnoticed by Poppy either. Lily heard her say in a rather loud voice to Alanna that she wished she too been 'raised in a powerful magical family so that she could show off her knowledge in class'. Since their fateful race around the castle, Lily had been mostly successful in ignoring Poppy's obnoxious comments but as her ability to ace any tests on magical knowledge grew thanks to Alasdair, so too did Poppy's endeavors to get under her skin.

It didn't help that she often had to walk behind Poppy, Alanna and Hazel on her way to class and could overhear their conversations. Lily found that the best way to ignore them was to talk to Alasdair who followed her around in secret by flying through the walls beside her. She pretended she was talking to Fides, even though at times he was quite obviously asleep on her shoulder.

'Are you going to watch the game- between Slytherin and Gryffindor?' Lily heard Hazel ask Poppy and Alanna as they walked ahead of her. The two girls immediately tensed.

'If there is still a squib on the team by that time, then I think not' Alanna said coldly.

'Do you think there is a chance she won't be?' Poppy asked hopefully.

'Well it hardly seems fair, does it? That someone who may not even be able to graduate should be allowed onto the team- when there are others who have proven their abilities are just as good'

Lily fumed. 'The only thing those others proved is that I'm the better flyer' she muttered to Alasdair. He stuck his head out of the wall to talk to her.

'Would you like me to fly through them? I find that works well to give first years a good shock' he whispered back with a laugh.

'No, don't. I can deal with them on my own' she said sulkily though she had no idea how she would go about doing so.

'Are there Nargles in that wall?' A familiar voice sounded from behind Lily. She spun around to see Lysander walking behind her, his curly brown hair bouncing as he made long strides with his long lanky legs.

'Lysander!' Lily hadn't spoken to him properly since their ride on the train together. The only time she ever saw him was when he was eating alone at the Ravenclaw table with a far-off expression on his face or from afar as he roamed the castle grounds muttering or humming to himself. He hadn't ever made any attempt to talk to Lily and had always seemed far off in his own world, so much so that Lily felt it best not to interrupt him.

Of all the people to be caught talking to a wall by, Lily was certainly glad that it had been him.

'Lubotubilly' he said in a cheerful daze. 'I was wondering if you'd like to go for a walk this evening- I found some interesting flowers near the woods that I think might be Lubotubers'

'Of course I would!' She was surprised but honored to be asked.

Though the Lubotubers turned out to be common Amaryllis, Lily thoroughly enjoyed strolling the grounds with Lysander. He seemed to see something special in everything he came across; one could not convince him that a plant or bug was just a daisy or a ladybug until there was absolute proof that it was not a rare magical plant or creature that had yet to be discovered. His curiosity and imagination was endless.

When Lily headed down to the Great Hall the next morning and took up her seat at the Gryffindor table, she was surprised to see Lysander pull up a seat next to her.

Lily had never heard of or seen any of the students from other houses eating at tables that weren't their own, though she supposed she had never heard of any rules banning it either. From the reaction of the Gryffindors around her, it was obvious that none of the other students had witnessed such a thing either but Lysander seemed hardly to notice the stares, let alone allow them to bother him. He sat across from her and ate his blueberries and porridge as though it was the most natural thing he could have done. For her part, Lily was delighted to finally have company during meals outside of her brothers and their friends.

Lysander sought Lily out not only at breakfast, but also between and after classes, though being in different years and from different houses meant that their schedules did not match up in the slightest.

In fact, Lysander began to spend so much time with Lily that Alasdair gave up hiding in the walls and introduced himself. They got along quite well, as Lysander asked very few questions about who Alasdair was and how Lily had come to make his acquaintance but simply chatted to him about the theories he had about how different historical events had gone down at Hogwarts castle and whether Alasdair knew if any of them were true. It was only then that Lily realized that Alasdair, though deceased at the age of about 17, was actually around two centuries older than her.

Fides also became comfortable around Lysander, allowing him to carry him on his shoulder when Lily was preoccupied with searching for something in her bag or was busy at quidditch practice. Lily had gone from having no friends to, in a matter of weeks, having the odd but pleasant company of a sarcastic and outspoken Kneazle, a mysterious Scottish ghost and a curly haired Ravenclaw who spent most of his time daydreaming. And she was truly happy about it.

One evening, the group were searching to see if they could find a certain type of herb Lysander believed might exist called Minteal on the outskirts of the forest just behind Hagrid's cabin. Fides was preoccupied sniffing around the grass for a sweet mint-like scent that resembled Lysander's description of the plant. Alasdair had swooped off to search the forest floor as, unlike Lily and Lysander, he would not get into trouble for doing so.

Lily was on all fours, enjoying running her hands through the grass and ignoring her uncertainty that they would find the mysterious herb Lysander was looking for.

'What are you going to do with it if we find it Lysander?' She asked absentmindedly.

'Give it to my brother' Lysander replied from where he was squatted a few meters away from her.

It was the first Lily had ever heard of Lysander's family.

'You've got a brother?' She said curiously.

'A twin actually' Lysander said proudly.

'A twin! You're a twin Lysander?'

She wondered why he had never mentioned this before. Why she had never heard of or seen his brother? Did they look so alike that she had been confusing two students for one this whole time?

'He's gone to Germany to learn to make fiddles. Minteal should make for the perfect addition to the lacquer he uses' Lysander said happily.

'So, he decided not to come to Hogwarts?' Lily asked surprised. She hadn't realized that was an option for young wizards in England.

Lysander was silent for a moment.

'He chose to make instruments with muggles instead?' She asked again.

'He's a muggle too, so he didn't get a letter to come to Hogwarts.' There was no change in Lysander's cheerful, dreamy tone.

'You mean- he's…' Lily struggled to say the word that had haunted her for the past few weeks.

'He's not magical' Lysander confirmed.

Lily paused, unsure of what to say. It was the first time she had ever considered the reality of what being a squib might mean- that one might have to live away from their family. That one might not even receive a letter to come to Hogwarts. It seemed like to worst things possible to Lily who had always thought of Hogwarts as her dream home where she would have limitless adventures. But then again, her time there thus far had shown her that it was not all adventures and fun times and that Hogwarts could in fact be a very lonely place for some.

'What's his name?' Lily asked, for lack of anything else to say.

'Lorcan' Lysander replied with a smile.

'Another 'L' name then' she smiled back at him.


	14. The Theory

With the Slytherin quidditch match approaching, Lily's attention became entirely focused on making sure she was prepared in every way possible. It was the first Gryffindor quidditch match of the season which meant that tensions were high and it was not uncommon to see heated words being exchanged between Gryffindor and Slytherin fans in the corridors.

Lily tried hard not be nervous, but her track record for performing well in front of her peers was not good. And she couldn't help but think about how, unlike her classes which were at least restricted to the students in her year, this match would be in front of the entire school.

Outside of the evenings when Lysander wanted to go in search of some new beetle or herb he was sure could be found around the school, Lily spent much of her time down at the pitch practicing. Unfortunately for her, so too did Raul Pucey.

She still couldn't quite figure him out. He always seemed very happy to see her but the only topic of conversation he was capable of initiating was how terribly his team was going to completely thrash hers.

On that particular day, his boisterous voice followed her as she made her way across the grounds down to the pitch.

'Back again today Potter? You're training hard for a match you're bound to lose' he chuckled.

'You're very cocky considering it's your first game too' Lily shot back with a frown.

He ran to catch up with her.

'Don't need much experience to see who will win this fight' he smirked.

'It's pretty much a David and Goliath situation'

'You do realize that David beat Goliath?' Lily said exasperated.

Rather than reply, he walked up right behind her, grabbed her by the waist and hauled her over his shoulder.

'What do you think your doing?' Lily screamed in protest 'Put me down this instant!'

'Tiny, little-itty bitty Potter' Raul shook his head as he continued to walk towards the pitch with her thrown over his shoulder.

'How do you expect to get a goal past me?' He clicked his tongue and chuckled.

'I'll get more than just one goal past you- you stupid brute!' Lily's temper was getting the better of her again. She thrashed her arms and legs about trying to get free but to no avail.

As they neared the pitch, they heard a voice from behind one of the stands coming towards them. Lily knew straight away that it was Albus.

Raul seemed to realize it too and very suddenly threw Lily back down onto the ground. She landed with a thud and didn't bother to get up, too preoccupied with yelling at her accoster. Albus and Johnathan rounded the corner to discover her like that in the middle of giving Raul a very passionate dressing down.

'If you think you can use your ridiculous size to make up for a lack of real flying skills then you have another thing coming- You've got nothing on me! Your pathetic team will be dying to catch the snitch and end the match after I annihilate your inferior defense!'

It had been some time since Albus had witnessed Lily so ruffled. The grass around her began to wilt and blacken.

She got to her feet hurriedly and moved forward to poke Raul in the chest with a finger. 'Better get prepared for the embarrassment of your life Pucey' she finished in a threatening hiss.

Albus decided it was best to step in then and moved forward to grab her other arm and pull her away.

'Let's leave the fighting for the actual game shall we Lils?' He said dragging her away from Raul who stood thunderstruck from the verbal rampage.

One of the advantageous side-effects of being lugged across the grounds by a disrespectful ogre was that in her fury Lily lost any sense of nervousness she had previously felt. She had to win this game and show Pucey that regardless of his ability to carry her around against her will, she would be the one in control once they were in the air.

With only a few days left until the match, Lily decided to become well acquainted with the scoring tactics shelf of the quidditch section in the library. She stood there for hours scanning books in search of examples of where chasers had scored goals against over-sized keepers. There had to be a way to get around him, even if he was large enough to cover the goal he was to be protecting.

She was just watching an illustration of Brazil's Coelho spinning the quaffle past Bulgaria's Zograf when she heard the unmistakable sound of James' voice approaching.

'Albus, this could be serious. Lily could be in trouble.'

Lily froze at the sound of her name. She could see her two brothers, who had come to a stop standing on the other side of the row of shelves, through the gap between the tops of the books and the bottom of the shelf above them. She crouched down quickly and quietly to prevent them from realizing she was there and put a finger to her lips to silence Fides who had just awoken from the nap he had been taking at her feet.

'I'm just not sure if she'd appreciate us going to dad with this… I mean what would we even tell him? That she's doing terribly in her classes? That she hasn't been able to use her wand at all?'

'We'll tell him everything' James said, his voice tense.

'You don't actually think she's a squib do you?' Albus shot at James, incredulous.

James was silent for a moment which sent Albus into a frenzy.

'You've got to be kidding me! Don't tell me you let that Hooch girl convince you with those newspaper articles she keeps bringing us of muggles flying brooms! You know she just wants Lily gone so that she can be on the team'

'It's not that Albus' James spoke up suddenly, his frustration apparent.

'Then what is it?' Albus was just as impatient.

'It's that… You probably don't remember, but when we were little- when Lily was just a baby- mum and dad took her to see a healer…'

'What? Why?' Albus's voice dropped to a whisper as though he'd only just remembered they were in a library.

'Because- she kept blowing stuff up. Or making it melt. Or turning it black. She was just exploding with magic everywhere, whenever she cried or laughed too hard…'

'Well that would suggest to me that she's not a squib' Albus said firmly.

'Not a squib no' James agreed 'But she's not normal Albus' the usually light-hearted and frivolous James sounded more earnest than Lily had ever heard him be.

Though she tried to keep calm and let the words wash over her, Lily could feel herself slipping. Her stomach clenched in despair.

Not normal. What exactly did James think she was then?

'Well… perhaps there is… something wrong with her' Albus conceded in a small voice.

That was the last straw for Lily. It was bad enough having one brother loose faith in her let alone two. The books on the shelf next to her began to shake all at once. They made the shelf rattle and thud noisily.

James and Albus immediately looked over at the bookcase in alarm.

'Lily?' James guessed, looking around for her.

Lily felt a pang of frustration and shame at having been discovered and just then the books flew off the shelf outwards and fell onto the ground in front of her brothers. This left Lily completely exposed behind the empty bookcase. Albus and James shuffled quickly back to avoid having their feet crushed by the pile of volumes that decended upon them.

'Lily-' James began apologetically.

But she didn't let him finish. She stood up quickly and faced them with watery eyes.

'There is nothing wrong with me. Don't you dare tell dad there is'

She let out a sob and rushed to get away before more of them left her mouth involuntarily.

'Lily!' Albus hurriedly called after her.

'Leave me alone!' She yelled back in a choked voice.

James put a hand on Albus's shoulder to stop him from running after her. Albus sighed and the two boys resigned themselves to picking up the huge pile of books that was sprawled all over the floor in front of them. They knew they would need to wait until Lily calmed down to try to reconcile with her.

Lily didn't want to go out into the corridors or even to her dormitory which would require going through the common room and potentially being seen in her sad state by all her classmates. Instead she went to the only hiding place that came to mind.

She threw down the quidditch book she was still clutching onto the small table behind the restricted section which made Malfoy jump at the sudden noise. He got a second shock seeing that the noise had come from a red faced Lily. She quickly sat down without a word and pretended to read about Zograf's defense tactics.

Malfoy, not knowing what to do, watched her for a moment before going back to his book. But Lily could not contain it. James and Albus's words were running through her mind. She gave up and let her head fall onto the open book in front of her and sobbed into it.

She knew she must look ridiculous. But she felt she could count on Malfoy to ignore her no matter how pitiful a sight she was.

She felt his eyes on her but he said nothing, letting her cry loudly and uncontrollably into the pages of her book.

After a while, Lily's throat began to tire and her head hurt. Her sobs became quieter and quieter until they were simply voiceless intakes of breath.

It was then that Malfoy called to her gently.

'Potter…'

Lily stopped sobbing completely and froze. She didn't want him to see her red blotchy face. Her fringe was all mattered and stuck to her forehead with tears and sweat and she thought her nose might be running.

But he called to her again, more firmly this time.

'Potter'

'What?' Lily said in a muffled voice without removing her face from on top of the book.

'You're a witch Potter'

He said it as though it was the most simplest, most obvious thing in the world.

Forgetting her face for a moment, Lily looked up at him in surprise.

His expressionless face was of great contrast to Lily's which was still scrunched up in distress.

He cleared his throat and repeated; 'You're a witch. Not a squib'

The locked eyes for a moment until Lily slid her eyes away from him with a sigh.

'How would you know?' Her tone was not accusatory but rather just defeated.

'Not many muggles can talk to ghosts. Or cats for that matter' he pointed out.

A jolt of surprise ran through her.

'You know about Alasdair?'

Malfoy shrugged.

'Is that his name? I saw you talking to him once or twice…'

It had not occurred to her that he might have been paying attention to her outside their small corner of the library.

'And your cat' he added, nodding to Fides who was laying curled up next to her tear stained book.

'Fides talks to me…' Lily said lamely by way of explanation.

'Must be a Kneazle' Malfoy remarked 'and Kneazles don't talk to un-magical folk'.

There was silence as Lily processed what he was saying.

'So what if I am a witch?' she said finally.

'what does that even matter if I can't seem to use magic? Or at least not when I want to?'

'I think' Malfoy began but stopped. He seemed to be hesitating over his next words.

'I think that you may use magic in a different way from other witches'

'What do you mean-' Lily shot back in surprise. She was not expecting Malfoy of all people to have a theory about her predicament.

'-what do you mean, in a different way?'

Lily could see from Malfoy's eyes that there was something running through his mind- something he was still hesitant to voice. But after a moment he seemed to decided that whatever it was was worth saying aloud.

'I think you have Compassiomeidis'

Malfoy waited for her reaction but Lily was completely oblivious to what on earth he might be getting at.

She looked down at the books spread around him on the table; Dark Curses of the Middle Ages, Magical Death and Disease, Fifty Incurable Blood Curses.

Lily swallowed as tiny butterflies of fear begin to spread their wings in her stomach.

'Is… is that some kind of curse?'

Her question came out in a whisper and as soon as she had asked it she realised that she didn't want to know the answer.

'No! no, no' Malfoy hurried to correct her. 'Not a curse-'

'Then some kind of magical disease?' Lily remembered what James had said about her father taking her to a healer to ask about her uncontainable explosions of magic.

'No' Malfoy said it more gently this time.

'It's….' he fumbled for a word.

'…a sort of magical condition'.

This hardly sounded reassuring to Lily.

'So there is something wrong with me-' she started to say.

'-no, Potter, listen to me.' Malfoy interrupted as misery started to take hold of her.

'It's just a theory, not a diagnosis. But even if it is true, Compassiomeidis isn't something bad. Every witch and wizard has it in some form or another, some just stronger than others.'

Lily was confused.

'Then why am I the only one not able to perform a simple levitation charm or to transform a needle into a match?'

'Maybe the way you are being taught isn't the way that suits you' Malfoy suggested.

Of all the incredible things that she had heard that evening from the usually silent Malfoy, this seemed the most dubious. Over the centuries that Hogwarts had been in operation there must have been thousands of witches and wizards who had come through its doors to be trained in the arts of magic. Lily had been taught from a young age that Hogwarts was the finest magical school there was and as such was disinclined to believe that there could be anything wrong with its teaching methods.

'And where did you get this theory Malfoy?' Lily's eyes narrowed in distrust.

'A book…' he shrugged, looking uncomfortable.

'Then show it to me' Lily said it as though it were a challenge, trying to shield her genuine interest.

'It's not here' he sighed. 'It's in my fathers shop'

'oh' said Lily with a pang of disappointment.

There was silence and then;

'My names Scorpius'

'What?' Lily was thrown by the sudden change in topic.

'Don't call me- you don't have to call me Malfoy' He seemed somewhat uncomfortable.

'It's Scorpius'

'Oh…' she said unsure of what to say.

'well- my name is Lily' she added to be polite.

'I know' Scorpius said simply. He seemed to have exhausted all the energy he had for talking and went back to his book.

Lily watched him for a moment as she gathered her things to leave.

Malfoy- or Scorpius, as he had instructed her to call him- was becoming more and more perplexing.


	15. Two books and a Quill

Professor Longbottom asked Lily to stay behind after class. The Mimbulus mimbletonia that they had been growing was so going so well that it had enlarged to over twice the size of most of the other students' plants. She spent the time waiting for the other students to pack up and leave tending to it by wiping off left over Stinksap residue from it's boils.

When the class was empty and the professor had finished packing up his things into a briefcase, he turned to her and motioned for her to follow him out of the classroom. Lily did so and the pair walked in silence along through the corridors and up several flights of stairs. They ascended so far up into a small tower of the castle which Lily had never seen that she felt compelled to ask where they were going.

'I'd like to show you something- something Professor Dumbledore showed me when I was a first year student' He smiled gently, his eyes distant with nostalgia.

Lily's curiosity peaked. Something that the great Professor Dumbedore- who her father always spoke about with great fondness- had shown him?

They came to a stop in front of an old and very small arched wooden door. It was so small that a full sized adult would have to bend over to enter. It was also covered with some very strong protection spells Lily realized as Professor Longbottom used several disabling charms in order to open the lock. This was not a room that students were supposed to see.

Once it was finally unlocked, the Professor hurriedly opened it and crouched over to get through, beckoning for Lily to quickly follow him.

Though the door itself had been quite small the room they found themselves in on the other side of it was of average size with a ceiling so high it was almost equal to that of the Great Hall. It appeared they were at the very highest point of the small tower, which itself was much high than any tower Lily had explored thus far. Out of the large arched window which took up one side of the room, she could see past the grounds and over the expanse of the forbidden forest.

In the centre of the room was a small wooden desk, the kind that students might use in their charms or history classes. The desk looked very plain in comparison to the enormous black book which lay upon it and the beautiful silver quill which hovered above the book.

Professor Longbottom walked over to look down upon the books pages. Lily followed along with great interest.

The pages were filled with gorgeous cursive letters in silver ink. Lily soon realized however that all that was written was a long list of names.

The quill suddenly perked up and flew over and into the small silver ink pot at the top of the desk. From there it flew back to the book and descended upon the end of the list, adding with many grand circular motions, the name of 'Louis Weasley'.

'That's my cousins name!' Lily exclaimed in surprise. 'He was born just a few months ago…'

'Congratulations' Professor Longbottom said with a genuine smile. 'It seems he will be receiving a letter from Hogwarts when he comes of age'

'Is that what this is?' Lily said excitedly. 'A list of children who will receive letters?'

'Not just a list' Professor Longbottom replied. 'This is the entire selection process for children who are to be accepted into Hogwarts'

'It's all done by a book?' Lily asked in surprise.

'Not just the book but the quill too. It's a two step process. The quill senses when children display magical tendencies, then the book makes a decision about whether those displays are enough to confirm with absolute certainty that the child is indeed a witch or wizard. It will not let the quill near it unless there is no doubt that the child has performed the magic themselves and it is not just residual magic from their parents'

It dawned on Lily why the Professor had gone to the trouble of taking her to this room which was obviously normally off limits.

'so… my name… it was in this book?' She asked nervously.

Professor Longbottom raised his wand and shot a spell at the open book which sent its pages flipping backward to an earlier section of the list. Lily peered down at the open page. Sure enough, her name was there gleaming in beautiful silver lettering.

'The book has not once been wrong in it's assessment of children's magical ability' the Professor said quietly beside her.

'No matter what people say…' he went on gently 'There is no doubt that you are a witch Lily'

A sense of relief rushed through Lily's chest. She had always told herself that the rumors must be wrong. After all the things she had inadvertently destroyed- the train snacks, the sorting stool, the neat bookcase at the Library- it seemed to her that she must contain some magical blood. But after hearing so much talk about the possibility that she was not meant to be at Hogwarts she had begun to doubt herself. This was proof that she really did belong there.

'Professor Dumbledore showed this to you too sir?' Lily asked peeling her eyes away from her name to look over at him.

Professor Longbottom looked out the large arched window with a small smile.

'He did' he replied walking closer towards the window were he began to pace.

'When I was your age- in my first year at Hogwarts- I did terribly in my classes. Couldn't produce even the easiest of spells'

Lily could hardly believe it. Though the Professor was known to be somewhat clumsy and forgetful, he was a genius when it came to magical plants and their care. He also had a knack for teaching, helping even the most hopeless of students to succeed in his class. This meant that his reputation at Hogwarts was outstanding and he was one of the most respected teachers in school.

'So it crossed my mind many a time that I may not truly belong here' he reflected.

'It didn't help that my grandmother had thought I was a squib for most of my early childhood'

He said it with a chuckle but Lily, who knew the pain of what it was like to be considered an outsider, felt considerable empathy for him.

'Did Professor Dumbledore enchant this book himself Sir?'

Lily ran her fingers over the edges of the book which looked very old and were beginning to peel.

'Oh it's much older than that' the professor replied.

'Professor Dumbledore told me that it was placed here by the founders themselves'

Lily looked up at the Professor in surprise and then back down at the table. She noticed then that there were several engravings scratched crudely into the surface. One of them read; 'Helga, Rowena, Salazar, Godric', each name in different handwriting.

It was then that Lily noticed something gold and glittery sticking out of the compartment underneath it.

Professor Longbottom continued to look out the window ahead of him as Lily quietly slid her hand inside the desk and produced a book emblazoned with a golden cover. There was no title. She opened it up to find the pages full of hand written entries, each ending with a signature that read 'Helga Hufflepuff'.

But before Lily had a chance to read the content of any of the entries, Professor Longbottom appeared before her and snapped up the journal.

'That book is not permitted to be read by students' he warned her with a serious look.

'Yes Sir- Sorry Sir' she said immediately. But Professor Longbottom's words had ignited a fire of curiosity inside her and she longed to find out what the most accepting and peace-loving founder could possibly have written that had become forbidden.

'Best you be heading off to dinner now Lily' the Professor said, as though sensing her desire to get the book back somehow.

'Yes Sir' she replied with a pang of disappointment.

As she opened the tiny door and let herself out Professor Longbottom called to her.

'Oh and Lily'

'Yes Sir?'

'Do your best to beat Slytherin tomorrow won't you?'

'Of course Sir' She said with a grin.

On the morning of the game, Lily made her way to the pitch early, showered and put on her Gryffindor uniform with much gravity and precision. She was nervous but she was also determined. Determined to show the school once and for all that she did belong there. And that she was not to be underestimated.

There was a knock on the door to the girl's locker room. Lily got up to answer it. It was James.

'You're here early' James gave her an anxious smile. They hadn't properly spoken since the incident in the library as Lily had been avoiding both her brothers and had made sure to be deep in conversation with Lysander whenever they were present.

'yeah… just getting into the the right headspace I guess' she muttered avoiding his eyes.

'listen-' James' voice rose as he prepped himself up for an apology. 'What me and Albus said in the library- we were way off mark. We shouldn't have said it and… and I don't think either of us really meant it, you know? We were just…'

'You were just what?' Lily prompted him, her eyebrows pushed together with unease.

'We were just worried about you Lils' James let the words out with a sigh. Lily could see the lines of concern on his forehead and she couldn't help but forgive him.

'But you don't have to worry' Lily said quietly. 'I can look after myself. I'll get better… at all of this. At everything.'

She knew that it wasn't just her lack of magical ability that was causing her brothers to worry. The fact that she'd made it into Mcgonagall's office in her first few weeks at Hogwarts, that she didn't get along with any of her fellow Gryffindor first years or that she had spent more time alone exploring the grounds or else in a hidden part of the library than the common room were all causes for their concern.

'Well nobody's worried about your flying skills Lils' He said with a pat to her shoulder, grinning at her.

'Good' she smirked. 'Because I intend to show Pucey that a Potter half his size is still worth more than three Slytherin chasers'

James laughed at that.

'I expect nothing less from you'

He left to go prepare for the game but it wasn't long before Lily was standing in front of him, this time with the rest of the team listening to his pre-match prep talk.

'And watch out for Carrow- he plays dirty' James finished just as a horn blew to signal it was time for the players to enter the pitch.

Lily's stomach clenched. For all her talk of beating Pucey she felt suddenly nauseous.

With trembling hands she picked up her Comet 460, which her father had sent her from home having heard with delight that she had made the team. She walked out onto the field to loud cheers, the loudest of which seemed to be directed at Albus who was in line just in front of her.

Professor Claudas was refereeing. Lily had been worried that Claudas had something of a grudge against her since the incident with the flaming buttresses. But after witnessing his behavior around other students she had come to realize that he was just a generally very easily displeased person. He looked upon several members of the Slytherin team, which had lined up in front of them, with just as much distaste as he had shown Lily.

'Last year, I 'ave seen about six 'undred of zee seven 'undred ways to commit a quidditch foul' he said to them all. 'I do not wish to see any more'

As he said this his eyes were fixedly on Horon Carrow who was smirking, unrepentant.

Claudas brought the silver whistle up to his mouth and they all clambered to get onto their brooms and take their marks.

The loud blast of the whistle sent a shock of adrenaline through Lily's body. She shot up into the air and immediately went for the quaffle- along with all three of the Slytherin chasers. She got to it first, snatching it up and pulling around just in time to miss being at the centre of the Slytherin chasers' collision into one another.

'And Potter- That's Lily Potter, the little one- has got the quaffle!'


	16. The Game

To Professor Claudas' dismay, the game between Slytherin and Gryffindor turned out the be the longest and roughest game the school had seen in over a century. Lily, who was still feeding energy off her grudge against Pucey, was at the top of her game. She spent the most time of all the chasers on the field with the qauffle in her possession, going in for goal after goal. But Raul Pucey's huge stature was not to be underestimated. He stopped almost all of her attempts simply by virtue of being almost as large as any of the three goals he flew in front of.

Lily had to admit that he also wasn't as slow a flyer as she'd hoped. She should have known considering he'd spent almost as much time as her down at the pitch practicing.

Albus was not fairing much better. It seemed the Slytherin team's game strategy was to stop him from catching the snitch at all costs. Players would continually fly in front of him to block his view and there were even a few moments after Albus had made a dive for the snitch when players flew right at him. But by far the most obtrusive and dangerous were the beaters Horon Carrow and Brice Scabier.

It was Lily's first time to actually see Carrow. She was well acquainted with his low, threatening voice from the time she had heard him calling her a squib to Raul Pucey, but he was far more fierce in the flesh. The role of beater seemed to suit someone of his squat but thick-boned physique. He was also incredibly aggressive, spending all of his time trying to beat bludgers in the direction of Gryffindor players and none of it actually trying to protect his own team from them.

With Pucey blocking the goal and everyone else blocking Albus, there seemed to be little hope for their team to get a good enough lead to win. Lily was keenly aware that the likelihood of Albus catching the snitch with so many obstructions was quite low and so it would be up to her and the other Gryffindor chasers, her cousins Roxanne and Fred Weasley, to get them a 150 point lead.

Thanks to Johnathan's skillful keeping, they were able to maintain the advantage with 200 points to Slytherin's 60. Lily had tried every trick in the book (or rather, the several books she'd read in the library) to get goals past the enormous Pucey and was struggling to think of a new way to combat his defense that he hadn't already seen her use.

That was when the game began to stall. Once they'd reached their 20th goal the Slytherins had become even more aggressive in their attempts to stop their lead going over the 150 point mark which would mean a snitch catch by Slytherin would not win them the game. They flew for hours with no change in the scoreboard.

Though the match had started in the morning, it was now evening and the sun began to fade. A definitive sense of tiredness took over the crowd with handfuls of mostly Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw students taking their leave to get back to the castle before the early winter sunset.

No-one was more tired than the players however. Lily's advantage was that on any given day she had enough energy to de-gnome the entire forbidden forest and was determined to the point of stubbornness.

She took the quaffle for a lap around the pitch in order to lose the weary Slytherin chasers, Cruin Yaxley, Sally MacDougal and Voisin Duff, who were tailing her before charging towards the goals. She took a chance and feigned the trick she had done at her tryouts against Johnathan as keeper. But this time, as she flew at full speed right towards the belly of a shocked Pucey who braced just in time to stop them both from tumbling through the goal behind them, she let the qauffle go. It dropped down into the hands of Roxanne who promptly threw it into the open goal post to their left.

The Gryffindor crowd burst into cheers.

'Finally! A goal!'

Magnus Lang of Ravenclaw had almost given up on commentating, but perked up again at the change of score.

'That's a total of 210 points for Gryffindor! And you know what that means Ladies and Gentlemen- the Gryffindors have a 150 point lead, so it's time for Aethelwulf to take a break!'

Ariana's elder sister, the Slytherin seeker Relder Aethelwulf, scowled. She shot towards Albus, apparently determined to spend the time she was prohibited from catching the snitch inhibiting all Albus's attempts to do so.

Carrow, on the other hand, turned his attention from Albus to the three Gryffindor chasers; Lily, Roxanne and Fred. Carrow didn't seem to care how close they flew to his own teammates, he beat the bludgers in their direction anyway in a desperate attempt to prohibit anymore goals.

They had each received at least one bludger to the side by the time the sun had sunk and Professor Clouds blew his whistle and motioned for the two captains, James and Sally, to come down. The remaining players took the opportunity of a break in the game to fly back down to land and rest.

After a few tense words with Claudas, James walked over to his team and they gathered around to hear what was going on.

'Claudas has called for a mutual agreement to end the match' James said wearily.

Dominique threw down her bat exhausted. Fred let out a sigh. Roxanne looked up at the sky as if to thank the heavens. Only Lily seemed agitated by this turn of events.

'I don't want to win this way' she spoke up.

The eyes of her three cousins, two brothers and Johnathan all turned to her.

'I want to win properly…' she said more quietly but with just the same tone of determination.

There was silence as everyone looked around at each others tired faces.

'I agree' Albus said suddenly. He was by far the worst for wear of all the players. He'd taken so many bludgers to his legs, arms and chest that even the simple act of clasping his broom made him wince in pain. So his agreement to continue on held much weight.

'but…' Roxanne chimed in nervously.

'What if we don't end it here and they catch the snitch? It could end in a tie- or worse if they score again'

'We'll have a vote' James said diplomatically. 'All those in favor of continuing the game?'

Lily and Albus immediately raised their hands. After a beat so too did Johnathan. Then with a sigh James did the same. After that Dominique, Fred and Roxanne all threw their hands up to preserve the team spirit.

'Well that's lucky…' said James with a smirk. 'Because I don't think Sally MacDougal was willing to agree to end it anyway'

'Could've mentioned that from the start' Albus muttered.

'We need to get everyone away from Albus so he can finish this' James said gravely.

'Lily, get possession of the quaffle and hold onto it- don't try to score. Roxanne and Fred- once she has it I need you to shield Albus from any attempts to tail or block him by Duff, Yaxley or MacDougal. Dominique- keep on Albus's tail and make sure any Bludgers that come his way get sent straight back again. Got it?'

They all nodded.

'I'll stick with Lily to make sure she doesn't get ambushed with bludgers whilst you're all with Albus' James looked Lily in the eye as he said this as though to reassure her.

Cluadas was not happy with the mutual decision by Gryffindor and Slytherin to continue playing. If it had just been one team who had objected to ending the match he might have had a chance at convincing them otherwise, but with everyone in unanimous agreement, all he could do was mutter angrily in French and blow his whistle to resume the game.

It didn't take Lily long before she had the quaffle under her arm and was pelting upwards in an attempt to stall any more goals and give Albus time to find the snitch.

The number of players who were now circling Albus was almost comical; Roxanne and Fred were there blocking Duff, Yaxley and MacDougal from getting in his way. Dominque was flying at his side hitting away the bludgers Scabier kept sending his way.

'Well Ladies and Gentlemen- we have here what many referred to as 'seeker stalking', a unique moment in quidditch when both teams give up on actually scoring and pin all their hopes on a snitch-catch' Magnus Lang seemed to be thoroughly enjoying the spectacle.

Lily could not see where Carrow had gone. She decided her best bet of getting any of the players away from Albus was to take the quaffle towards Pucey and feign going in for a goal. She would need to so do whilst taking care that Pucey didn't take possession of it.

But when Lily reached within a few meters of the goal posts she heard the sickeningly familiar sound of a bludger wizzing through the air to her right. In a flash, she saw the bludger heading straight for her and Carrow behind it with his bat still raised from the swing. His close proximity to her indicated that not only did she not have enough time to dodge it but that it would hit her with hideous force. In a matter of milliseconds, Lily closed her eyes and braced for the impact- WHAM!

Lily opened her eyes, surprised by the lack of pain. James was flying just beside her with his bat-arm stretched out, protecting her face. Over the other side of his arm, Carrow could be seen writhing in pain, yelling with his hands over his face. James had hit it right back at him.

Carrow settled down just enough to open the fingers covering his face and flash a deadly glare towards James. Lily was chilled to the bone by his fierce, piercing eyes.

Just then a cheer went up from the Slytherin crowd. For a moment Lily was confused as to why they would be cheering for the bludger to the face Carrow had received. Then she realized that over the other side of the pitch, Relder Aethelwulf was making a dive. She was headed for the snitch.

Albus had seen it too, and soon him and his whole entourage of players were pelting after her.

Carrow and James shot off to join the chase. Lily didn't wait and watch. She knew what she had to do.

With no tricks left up her sleeve, she flew towards Pucey hoping that speed and agility would be enough to get the qauffle past him. She flew in as close to him as possible, looking him straight in the eyes with the qauffle raised and ready. He looked back at her trying to figure out whether she would throw to the left goal or right. Lily didn't know herself until a few milliseconds before she thrust it towards the goal on their right. Pucey made a dive to the left.

The qauffle entered the goalposts just as the Slytherin crowd stood to cheer on Relder's catch.

There was much confusion as Magnus yelled 'Potter's done it! The tiny Potter lass has got a goal in just as the snitch is caught- and the winners are GRYFFINDOR!'


	17. The Explosion

Having finished just in time to catch the end of dinner in the great hall, the Gryffindor team went directly there and celebrated in their quidditch uniforms.

Most of the Slytherin team could also be seen in their uniforms at their table which was drowned in a sombre atmosphere. Pucey was swigging away at a flask he had brought with him, which looked suspiciously like it might be filled with firewhisky. Horon Carrow and his bruised face were nowhere to be seen.

There was much enthusiasm at the Gryffindor table as the team chanted Lily's name and set off sparks of light with their wands into the enchanted night sky above them. Poppy and Alanna remained unimpressed but Lily was happy to see that Hazel was joining in gleefully with the chanting.

Lily shot a look over at the Hufflepuff table to see if Scorpius had witnessed her victory but alas, he wasn't there. She hadn't seen him in the stands either. It seemed that even on a day like this, he had holed himself up in the library.

As students started to peter out of the Great Hall and back to their dormitories, Lily made her way over to the Ravenclaw table. Her teammates protested, hoping to celebrate in the common room with her late into the night. But Lily wanted to spend this moment with her best friend.

Before Lysander could get his words of congratulations out, she ambushed him with a hug and thanked him silently for believing in her even when nobody else seemed to. They chatted for a while before walking together towards their respective towers.

'Can I ask you something?' Lily said as they reached the point where their paths divided and they would need to say goodnight.

'Is it about the Plimpies in the astronomy tower bathrooms?'

It was always a little bit difficult to follow along with Lysander's sudden jumps in conversation but Lily adored his dottiness.

'No' the corners of Lily's mouth twitched up in a smile.

'Oh' Lysander was disappointed.

'You'll have to tell me about them sometime' Lily reassured him.

'What I wanted to ask was…' she paused, unsure of how to phrase it.

'Was the reason that you started to hang out with me… was it because you felt sorry for me… because of Lorcan? …because you thought I might be a squib too?'

Lysander was silent for a moment.

'I knew you weren't a squib' he said assuredly.

'But I did think… you might understand us. More than other people do. Because people treat you like a squib'

Lily could tell that he was being honest to the bone. Lysander always was.

She felt relieved. It wasn't out of pity, but rather because he thought Lily had something to offer that he had reached out and made friends with her. That made her feel more confident and happy with herself than she had felt in a while.

'Thank you' she smiled at him before turning to go on her way.

She kept smiling to herself as she walked away and down the corridor alone.

Then she heard the sound of someone singing in a drowsy voice. She rounded the corner and found herself face to face with Raul Pucey.

He swayed slightly but looked concerningly merry considering the circumstances of his loss.

Before Lily had time to think he rushed at her, picked her up and threw her over his shoulder. She tried to resist but he was far too large and far too drowsy to be turned off in the slightest.

'Lily Potter' he slurred. 'You are a very good quidditch player'

'Thanks Pucey- now let me go!' She yelled back at him thrashing her arms around in protest.

'Lily Potter, the incredible chaser. What a good job you did- all those goals'

He was carrying her down the corridor in exactly the wrong direction for her to get back to her dormitory. In fact, Lily realized with a bolt of fear, he seemed to be taking her to towards the Slytherin dungeons.

'Pucey- I swear to Godric Gryffindor, if you do not let me go I will curse you into oblivion'

'But you're terrrrrrible at magic Lily' he laughed at her.

Great. Even a firewhisky-merry Raul Pucey felt he could make fun of her magical ineptitude.

There was nothing she could do. They rounded onto the dark hall that lead to the dungeons. Lily could see the arched wooden door covered in numerous serpent shaped locks getting closer and closer.

'Pucey- I'm not allowed in there! You'll get me into trouble!' Lily pleaded with him.

The unfortunate effects of fire whisky seemed to have instilled in him the courage to do whatever he liked without fear of retribution. He ignored Lily, sending a wisp of green smoke out of his wand which made the silver serpents sliver off and away from the door.

Pucey stumbled into the common room with Lily still thrashing about over his shoulder. The noisy room went immediately quiet. She couldn't see the surprised faces of the dozens of Slytherin students who had frozen in shock at the sight, because Pucey had carried her in such a way that her legs faced forward and the rest of her hung from her torso over his back.

'I've got Potter! I've got Lily Potter!' Pucey boomed.

An explosion of chatter broke out in the room. Some of the voices protested, others laughed and egged him on.

'What in Merlin's name are you doing Raul?'

'Pucey's stolen the Gryffindor team's star player!'

'He's mental, he's absolutely mental!'

'Gotten her away from her pesky brothers, Pucey?'

Though his voice was low, when Horon Carrow spoke all the other students stopped talking. A shiver ran down Lily's spine. Though she couldn't see his face, she could hear the definite tone of delight in his voice.

'Maybe we ought to teach her how the Slytherin team play when the odds are more in our favor?'

Lily had never felt more terrified. Not when she had almost set herself on fire racing with Poppy over the castle, not when she'd come face to face with a strange ghost, not even when she'd fallen off the broom Albus had lent her last year whilst flying around her home village. Because all of those things had been dangers she could assess with her own two eyes. But she could not imagine what Horon Carrow, who's deadly eyes were enough to give her nightmares, would be willing to do to her.

Pucey on the other hand, was far more easy to predict. He walked into the centre of the room, finally giving Lily a view of some of the dozens of faces that were staring at her, and held her up easily by the waist as though she were a dear he had just hunted down.

'We should celebrate her win!' He yelled out cheerfully and began to throw Lily up into the air with a 'Hoorah!'. The Slytherin quidditch team moved forward to surround them roaring with laughter.

She tried to maneuver herself mid-air so that she would not end up back in his arms upon each land, but he managed to grab her every time and send her straight back up again with another bellow of 'hoorah!'.

Brice Scabier, Cruin Yaxley and Voisin Duff all joined in with his chanting. Sally MacDougal was doubled over in laughter. Relder Aethelwulf looked on unimpressed but didn't step in to stop them.

Whilst mid-air, Lily finally got a glimpse of Carrow. He was seated in the largest of all the armchairs in the room, an extravagant piece of furniture covered in emerald velvet with silver finishings. He looked on with a smirk. His face was far more damaged than Lily had realized, with one whole side completely blue and swollen from James' bludger.

'Put- Me- Down!' Lily yelled between throws.

'How about up instead?' Carrow's voice made Lily's stomach drop with dread.

He had taken out his wand and, from where he was still sitting on his chair, lazily muttered 'Levicorpus'.

Lily shot upwards by the ankle and hit the high ceiling with a thud. She felt her foot twist and bruise upon impact and let out a small squeal of pain.

'Put me down!' She screamed horrified.

'Down it is then' Carrow replied maliciously. The other Slytherin players had to rush out of the way as Lily came speeding down to forcefully hit the ground. This time it was her shoulder that came into contact first, letting out an awful crunching sound as her bones hit the floor.

Pucey was suddenly upset.

'Carrow- no, we should- she's had enough, we should let her go-' He sounded fearful not only for himself but also for what he might do to Lily.

'No- I think I'd like to hear her squeal some more' Carrow dismissed him and flicked his wand back up sending her flying back against the wall. She tried her best to keep quiet but her already bruised shoulder and ankle endured twice as much pain upon this impact that she let out an muffled scream.

'Carrow-' Relder spoke up this time.

'She's a first year- you could get expelled'

'Only if someone rats on me' He hissed back at her threateningly as he sent Lily forcefully back to the floor again. This time Lily forced herself to swallow her screams. She would not give Carrow the satisfaction of hearing how much pain he was causing her.

'Besides, I only think it's fair, don't you? After what her brother did to my face'

The Slytherin students were quiet now. No one seemed to be brave enough to attempt to stop Carrow. Lily thought she even saw Scabier and Yaxley grinning.

'James Potter' Carrow said her brother's name as though he were a disgusting insect of some kind, continuing to send Lily flying from one hard surface of the room to another with great thuds.

'He thinks he owns the place..'

THUD!

'…always prancing around the castle, breaking all the rules…'

THUD!

'…but not letting any Slytherins do the same'

THUD!

Lily's stubbornness in suppressing her screams seemed to anger Carrow further, making him more determined to force her to call out in pain.

'…And Albus Potter- sodding know-it-all, takes any chance he gets to show off in class…'

THUD!

Lily found that the more he insulted her family, the more her fear began to drain and anger began to bubble up from her belly. She knew for a fact Carrow had never teased or even confronted her brothers- perhaps he was too scared of their influence within the student body. Yet he felt he could do this to her because she didn't carry that same influence- because he knew she wouldn't be able to send any spells back his way.

'Just goes to show what filth we have to deal with at this school…'

THUD!

Lily was bruised all over. But more than pain, she felt anger. Red, hot, sickening anger.

'…all because Lord Voldemort didn't finish off that overblown, mudblood-loving, sack of dragon dung Harry Po-'

BOOM!

Suddenly as Lily was brought back down to the ground for another smack against the floor, there was a large explosion. The students who stood around her were thrown off their feet. Carrow's tirade against her family came to an abrupt end as he let out a scream.

Lily gingerly picker her bruised body up off the floor and looked around her. The entire room was burnt and blacked and filled with dark smoke. The Slytherin students had all fallen onto the ground and were covered in soot. Some of them sported large burns on their arms and legs. The only part of the room that wasn't burnt was Lily herself and the ground directly below where she had landed.

Carrow, still seated, was completely black from head to toe, his clothes singed. The chair had gone from a beautiful emerald color to a burnt brown one. His eyes were wide with shock, his mouth hanging stupidly open.

Lily didn't wait for him to regain his senses. She bolted for the door and flung herself through it, running as fast as she could, though her body screamed out in painful protest.

It must have been well past midnight. She hoped he would still be there.

A small light could be seen shinning through the bookcases in the restricted section, giving her hope. She rushed around it and came to a stop in front of Scorpius Malfoy, panting from her run.

He looked up at her with wide eyes and parted lips.

'W-What in the-?' He managed to splutter out in surprise. Lily knew she must look terrible, her face covered in bruises.

She just looked back at him still wheezing to catch her breath. To her dismay tears started to trickle down her face.

'What happened to you Potter?' Scorpius demanded.

When she didn't answer he lowered his voice and said with concern.

'Lily?'

'Can you fix me?' Lily whimpered.

'I don't want anyone to see me like this'

Scorpius froze in surprise, but he didn't press her for any more of an explanation. He quickly got up out of his seat and instructed her to sit down.

He took out his wand and very carefully began to heal her bruises, starting with the ones he could see on her face and neck.

Lily began to calm down. The heaving in her chest disappeared but the tears continued silently down her face. She rolled up her sleeves and pulled down her socks and knee pads so that he could tend to the injuries on her arms and legs.

After a while he asked her in a quite voice;

'Who did this?'

'No-one' Lily responded stubbornly 'I just fell over'

Scorpius snorted.

'You expect anyone will believe that?'

Lily let out a sob, unable to muster an answer.

'Alright, alright. It's okay' Scorpius quickly tried to calm her.

'I won't tell anyone…'

She looked him in the eyes and nodded by way of a thank you.

'Any more?'

'Not anywhere anyone will see…' Lily whispered through tears.

'Potter…' Scorpius's eyebrows were knitted together in concern.

'My shoulder…' she admitted reluctantly, motioning to it.

'Okay' he said, walking behind her. He pulled her collar to the side just enough to slip his wand in and perform a spell which instantly sucked away the throbbing pain there.

Lily had suffered through enough embarrassment that evening that she was able to let go of her pride and decide it was best to let Scorpius heal her where he could. Silently she lifted up her Gryffindor jersey to reveal her stomach, which had gone completely blue and purple with bruises.

'Merlin' Scorpius muttered in surprise at the extent of her injuries.

He quickly set about to healing her so that she could cover herself back up again.

Once he was done he went over to his bag and plunged a hand into it, ruffling around in search of something. He came back holding a round tin which he held out to her.

'You can use this to help with any other bruises I might have missed'

Lily slowly held out a hand to take it. She was nervous about how indebted she was becoming to this boy about which she really didn't know much.

'Thank you' she whispered, standing to take her leave.

'I hope you got back at them' he said suddenly as she was walking away.

Lily stopped and turned. She gave him a small smile before wordlessly disappearing into the darkness.


	18. The Pages

'Exploded? What do you mean exploded?'

'Was probably Carrow- that guy is nuts…'

'But why would the Slytherins destroy their own common room?'

'Did you see Professor McGonagall's face this morning? Must have been up all night repairing the place- she looked livid…'

The next few days the school was full of hushed whispers about the mysterious explosion that had occurred in the Slytherin dungeons. No one knew what- or who- was behind it. The Slytherin students kept their lips sealed out of fear of retribution from Horon Carrow. And Carrow kept quiet because any kind of explanation for why Lily had blown the place up would need to involve an explanation about his attack upon her.

Lily feigned disinterest whenever the conversation arose around her. She supposed it was good that at least people weren't talking about her and her dismal magical abilities anymore.

But there was one person from whom she could not hide any secrets.

Alasdair stuck his head out of the wall beside her as she sat sitting on a tabletop next to a sink watching Lysander cheerfully play with Plimpies in the empty boys bathroom of the Astronomy tower. The smirk on his face and twinkle in his eye let her know that he knew exactly what had happened even before he had opened his mouth to say so.

'Who told you?' she said immediately.

'Some of the portraits have been talking…' Fides meowed at her from where he sat near the door, guarding it to make sure no male students came in and got a shock.

'Great' Lily sighed.

'Heard you gave that Carrow boy a soot bath' Alasdair chuckled delighted.

'Soot is a very good repellent of Acromantula' Lysander said dreamily looking adoringly upon the Plimpie that was dancing on his palm.

'Is that what you were doing Lily? Trying to protect Carrow from a giant spider attack?' Alasdair was thoroughly amused by the conversation.

'He attacked me first okay?' She muttered at him with a frown.

'So I heard' Alasdair raised an eyebrow at her.

'He's an embarrassment to the Slytherin house if you ask me' He fiddled with the serpent insignia on his tie for a bit before an idea hit him.

'Would you like me to teach him a lesson? Destroy some of his things? Perhaps pull his pants down during a class?' Alasdair offered with a vindictive glint in his eyes.

'No' Lily said firmly. 'I've done enough to get on his bad side'

Alasdair sighed.

'Well that's a shame… because that's what I'm here for you know. To help you out- do your bidding and all that'

He grinned at her but Lily felt nothing but uneasiness. She still didn't even know what it was that he wanted from her in return.

'Well I don't need you to do any of that' she dismissed him.

Alasdair frowned at her in disbelief.

'Really? There is nothing you desire? Nothing I can do to help you?'

Lily opened her mouth to reiterate her sentiment but stopped. There was something that had been nagging at the corner of her brain for some time.

'Could you… read a book for me?'

Alasdair snorted.

'Doing your homework wasn't really what I had in mind… but if that's what you want…'

'Not my homework' Lily said quickly.

'There is a book in a tower that Professor Longbottom showed me. I wanted to read it but..' She paused for a beat. 'But well- the room is locked by numerous spells and completely off limits to students…'

Alasdair's face bloomed into a mischievous smile.

'Now we're talking'

Lily gave him instructions, relating everything that she could remember about the whereabouts of the tower. She didn't need to be too specific however as Alasdair seemed to know it already.

'Ah… the room with the Quill of Acceptance and the Book of Admittance' He said knowingly.

'Professor Longbottom let you in there?' He was surprised.

'Lucky you. Usually students need to do a lot of studying up on disabling charms to get anywhere near that place and only a handful have succeeded in actually getting inside'

Lily always forgot that Alasdair had a trove full of centuries of knowledge about things that had gone on within Hogwarts' walls.

'Just… read it for me- the gold book. And let me know if there is anything interesting' She instructed him.

A few days later, Lily was sitting on an armchair in the empty Gryffindor common room flipping lazily through a quidditch magazine, Fides sound asleep on her lap. The sound of the Fat Lady yelling caught her attention.

'No! No I say!' She sounded much more flustered than usual. 'Don't you dare float through me! Don't you- argh!'

'Oh come on, it's not that bad. Surely Nearly Headless does it all the time'

Lily sighed at the sound of Alasdair's voice. Surely he could be a little more subtle- of all the surfaces he could have chosen to enter the room from, why pick the portrait of the Fat Lady?

'This tower is off limits to all but those who have been chosen by Godric Gryffindor!' The Fat Lady yelled after him.

But Alasdair was already at Lily's armchair, mocking the Fat Lady by rolling his eyes and mouthing her words as she yelled them.

'Always was such a party-pooper that one' he muttered.

'Anyway- I read your book!' He announced gleefully. 'And I've got a present for you- oh wait hold on…' he patted down his vest in search of something with a frown.

'Ah but of course… solid objects can't go through… always forgetting that. Especially when the way is blocked by such a Fat Lady…' he chuckled to himself.

'Alasdair!' Lily admonished him.

'What? That's her name isn't it?'

'No- I mean, yes it is but- did you steal something from the room?' Lily began to panic. Stealing was not what she had asked him to do.

'Oh come on- we better go get it' He rushed back towards the portrait hole with Lily running after him.

The Fat Lady reluctantly opened up for Lily. But before she had finished making her way through the portrait hole, Lily froze in surprise.

Just outside the hole was Poppy Balfour, standing holding a ripped page, reading it with a frown. At her feet there were a dozen or so other pages scattered about. Lily gasped. She wanted to throttle Alasdair for not only stealing and damaging Hogwarts property but for being so careless as to leave it right in front of the common room entrance. But alas, normal physical laws did not apply to him and even if they did now was not the time.

'What is this Potter?' Poppy knew in an instant from Lily's panicked face that the pages must be hers.

'My diary' Lily snapped, hurriedly gathering up the pages at Poppy's feet. 'So give it back!'

She tried to grab the last page out of Poppy's hands but she quickly took a step back out of her reach.

'Didn't realize you were alive in the 15th Century Potter' She held the piece of paper up for all to see, pinched at the corner with her finger indicating the date scribbled at the top. Lily noted that at least the entry didn't finish on that page so Helga Hufflepuffs signature was not included.

When Lily didn't reply, Poppy thrust the page into her bag and pushed past her and through the portrait hole.

There was nothing Lily could do but let her take it and hope that it didn't end up being shown to any professors.

With a groan, she walked off, getting as far away from the common room and the staring Fat Lady as she could before her frustration at Alasdair exploded. She made it into a nearby empty classroom before rounding on him.

'Alasdair, what were you thinking? You've ripped pages out of what is probably a very old and precious text!'

'I just wanted to share the good bits with you' Alasdair was unfazed.

'You could have just told me them! Or at least taken the whole book!' Lily hissed.

'I don't have that good of a memory- and there was no way to get that whole fat book out from under the door-'

So that's how he had done it. It was almost amusing imagining him stuffing individual pages through the gap under the door one by one, except that Lily was sure that if anyone were to find out they had dismantled Helga Hufflepuff's diary, they would be in deep trouble.

Alasdair was unconcerned. Once again, being exempt from the consequences of the physical world was his saving grace.

'Oh Merlin, I could get expelled for this…' Lily despaired, putting a hand to her forehead.

'Whit's fur ye'll no go past ye' Alasdair said cheerfully.

'What's that mean?' she shot back at him.

'Whatever is meant to happen to you, will happen to you' Alasdair recited.

'How comforting' Lily said glumly.


	19. Times Past

The next day was the last day of term and the students were more boisterous than usual during breakfast as many of them would be heading back home on the Hogwarts Express for the Christmas holidays.

For that reason, it took McGonagall longer than usual to get her students quiet as she took to the podium. In the end though a particularly stern look from her proved enough to silence their excited chatter.

Lily was glumly shoveling spoonfuls of porridge into her mouth, trying to think of how she might reply when her parents asked her, as they inevitably would, how Hogwarts was going.

'Students, settle down now. Do settle down!' McGonagall shushed them.

'It is with grave disappointment that I must inform you about a terrible act of vandalism that has been carried out within these walls'

Lily's spoon stopped half way to her mouth. She only just managed to stop herself from dropping it back down into her bowl.

'A very, incredibly valuable item has been torn to pieces-'

As McGonagall paused, the students began to look around at each other for some sign of someone who knew what kind of item she might be talking about and what had happened to it.

'This item- perhaps one of the most precious books the school has ever owned- was found in tatters last night, in the locked safe-hold it has been kept in for centuries.'

The minute the words 'book' escaped McGonagall's lips, Poppy's head turned instantly towards Lily, her eyes narrowing. In an effort to keep a straight face, Lily thrust the spoonful of porridge that had been hovering for some time into her mouth.

'If anyone has any information about what has happened to this book, I urge you to come forward as soon as possible. I will give you until the end of the first week after the holidays to come to me and explain.'

Her eyes panned across the hall, trying to look as many students in the eye as possible.

'If nobody comes forward and it is discovered that a student was behind this, that student shall face expulsion'

There were times in Lily's life where she had predicted what might happen and been pleasantly surprised- smug even- to find out she had been right. Like the time James had been certain that showing off some tricks on his screaming yo-yo in the middle of a ministry party that their father was holding in their home would not end in him being sent to bed early. This time however, she was utterly horrified to discover that- as she had predicted- she might indeed be expelled.

Unable to stop herself, she glanced back over at Poppy. But for whatever reason Poppy appeared disinterested all of a sudden.

Heat rose to Lily's face. The pages were in fact still inside her uniform pocket where she had thrust them the night before in frustration after she had not been able to decipher the very old form of English used within them.

She had thought to get out the Old English dictionary they sometimes used in Professor Binns' class, but hadn't for fear that Poppy or one of the other girls might walk in on her in the process.

On the Hogwarts express, Lily made a beeline for the cleaning potions closet and was relieved to find Lysander there. He was sitting in the dark in just the same crouched position as she had first found him in at the start of the school year. Lily reflected that it was almost as if no time had passed at all. As though she hadn't yet done the whole host of things she never imagined for her life at Hogwarts, like accidentally setting a student on fire, failing at the majority of her classes and blowing up the Slytherin common room.

Now was not the time for nostalgic reflection however. She quickly took the ruffled pages out of her pocket and unfolded them so that Lysander could see them clearly. He lit up his wand and looked over them dreamily, without a word.

'These are the pages' Lily tried to prompt him into some kind of reaction but Lysander looked as peaceful as ever.

'The pages of the book Headmistress McGonagall was talking about this morning. Alasdair stole them. And now- now I could be expelled!'

Lysander finally looked up at her, his face calm.

'What do they say? The words on them?' He said it in the tone of someone inquiring what the weather might be like tomorrow.

'Well I don't know!' Lily was conversely getting more and more upset, as though she had to compensate for his lack of concern.

'They're in Old English'

'Yes, how fascinating' Lysander took his face so close to the page that his eyelashes made contact with it when he blinked.

He quickly turned away and started ruffling through his trunk and came back with what looked like a magnifying glass.

'What's that?' Lily asked.

'It's a Lingualatis' Lysander explained. 'It can translate Old English into Early Modern English- I use it to read Ignatia Wildsmith's botanical journals on Sunday evenings'

Lily knew that Lysander loved books but she'd had no idea about this particular hobby of his.

He held the Lingualatis between them and together they peered through it at the beautiful cursive hand written page in front of them.

The first entry read;

February 14th 994

This morning called up by Godric, who, Rowena thought, had been come to assist her with her drawing up of the castle plans, having drawne almost all the pupils chambers but those of Gryffindor. But it proved not, for he hastened to get to towne. I up, and made myself ready, and so with him by thestral-drawn chariot to see how Salazar had progressed. We found him in the company of two boys and three girls, all to be new pupils. We did not confess so in front of the children, but we were disheartened by their common blood purity. I after profession of all duty to teach and raise all the magically inclined, bemoane myself that I should fall into such a difficulty with Salazar, for whom the search for pupils has been so challenging under the most dangerous of circumstances. Godric was of certain mind that there was danger afoot just then, such that we bid the children return home and speak not of our proposition to them until the time come.

Thence we three of us went home to supper. Rowena supped with us, and Godric, to see how afeard I was that Salazar should deny the children of Can't-spells an education, challenged him. Such was the row than ensued that my hearty roast- which, I must say on a normal day does spur on pleasant discourse and merry-making- went cold and our hearts even more so. Naught was resolved, but weary, Salazar and Godric parted. I and Rowena to bed.

When they had finished reading over this first entry, Lily looked over at Lysander, hoping for some insight.

'You'll have a semester on this in second year' He explained.

'Binns is quite found of the late anglo-saxen era- always says it's when the beginnings of a muggle-wizard divide began and the hidden magical society we know today started to form. After the Gregorian Mission, magical peoples began to hide their abilities- though it was a long time before the International Statute of Wizarding Secrecy was signed. Non-wizard magical peoples such as mermaids and centaurs began to hide themselves completely, not being able to pass as muggles in the way we can. As time went by, those non-magical peoples began to be forgotten or else dismissed as made-up. Persecution grew and those accused of sorcery were required to be examined by an archpriest in hopes of prompting a confession. Torture was used if necessary, and many a witch and wizard was sentenced to prison until they resolved to do penance. Having forgotten about other magical peoples, muggles didn't see wizards or witches as different from themselves but rather as sinful versions of themselves'

Lily nodded along silently. She vaguely knew the history- every non-muggle born witch or wizard surely did. But it was one thing to hear about it now and another to read the words of people who had lived during that time. Somehow when she imagined the birth of Hogwarts, she had always conjured up a more joyous time, not one in which the founders every move was made in fear of muggle retribution.

They read on;

April 5th 996

Up, and very busy to perform an oathe in finishing my Journall this morning for 5 or 6 days past. Then to the castle grounds to see several people attending upon the business of final construction details, among others Sir Arwald the architect. Then comes Salazar whom I have not seen for many a moon, but he hath been in Caerphilly all this very while; and tells me how bold wizards there were, to cast a spell here or there in sport on passing Can't-spells, their concealment charms of such strength that even a suspicious Can't-spell who has just been forced into a Carole dance could not locate their village. Salazar has gathered a vast knowledge from his travels of all the concealment charms we shall use to protect our school and he reported in detail all these to Sir Arwald.

Godric is of one mind with Salazar on this account and believes that we must use all the magic in our power to protect our future pupils. Alas, Rowena fears that this will not be enough. She is much thought-full nowadays about a deeper, more powerful way to ensure protection.

In the new Hall, I prepare a most beautiful feast for our guests and Sir Arwald declares it the heartiest he has had.

After supper, and he gone, we to bed.

Lysander and Lily read over several more entries, enticed by the vivid writing of Helga Hufflepuff. Though her journal detailed her daily tasks in quite a matter of fact manner, the fear and urgency of the time was palpable. They read about Salazar's travels to uncover various pureblood families in hiding and Helga's own ventures out to find a handful of muggle-born students in Scotland. Godric seemed always to be away helping to protect muggles and wizards alike from the various wars that raged all over at the time. Rowena, deeply involved with the construction of the school and the magic which would keep it together and protect it seemed to spend much time alone and in thought. But it was also clear, that though the founders spent much time apart, they were each determined to see the creation of Hogwarts through and had greatly bonded with one another over this shared goal.

When the Hogwarts express came to a stop, Lily didn't even notice as she and Lysander were still working their way through the pages, enthralled by their content. It wasn't until she heard Albus running through the empty train calling her name that she realized they had reached Kingscross some time ago. She quickly folded the pages back up and tucked them into her pocket, making a pact with Lysander to read the rest together when they meet again after the holidays. Whilst Lysander stayed back to try to coax some Humdingers to come home with him in his trunk, Lily made her way out of the now empty train.

She found her family waiting on an almost deserted platform, their expressions concerned by her tardiness. It wasn't long before her father's face broke into a warm smile however.

'Trying to avoid coming home eh? Enjoying Hogwarts I take it?'

Lily smiled back. 'Enjoying' was one way of putting it.


	20. Christmas Eve

Harry and Ginny had a lot of questions for Lily and not just about the emerald eyed cat she had unexpectedly brought back with her. It was after all her first year of Hogwarts and they had heard little from her despite the fact that she had began the year by promising to write regularly to her father. Harry made it known that he was quite upset that he had only received one letter- the one detailing Lily's quidditch tryout triumph- by looking sulkily in Lily's direction during family dinners. He seemed to have the idea that the best way to guilt trip her would be by shoveling huge portions of whatever dinner he had made that night onto her plate and muttering about how worried he was that she had eaten anything at all while she had been away.

This had the effect of making Ginny roll her eyes and ask Lily directly all the questions that she knew Harry was dying to ask but was pettishly hoping that she would tell him without him having to.

'And what class are you enjoying most dear?' Ginny asked her one night, breaking the unusual silence that followed whenever the topic of Hogwarts came up. Lily did not like to lie, but she also did not want her parents to know how much difficulty she was having performing magic or even making friends her age. Her brothers, who had seen first hand just how much she was struggling, kept their mouths firmly shut whenever the subject was broached.

Ginny was used to family dinners in which her children would talk over the top of each other for hours, so to see the three of them all silent at once was more than enough to raise her suspicions that something was going on.

'uhm….' Lily thought for a moment.

The fact that their youngest, who half a year ago, had not been able to stop chattering away about all the magic she was dying to try at Hogwarts when she finally got there, could not answer the most simplest of questions about her experience there thus far was certainly cause for concern.

'Herbology is pretty good' Lily said in a soft voice, shoveling a great spoonful of Harry's pumpkin pie into her mouth.

Ginny peered over at her sulky husband with a sharp look. Harry knew immediately that he needed to try and get their daughter to explain more about what was going on or he'd be in trouble with her later.

'Well-' he perked up, clearing his throat over the silence. His children immediately gave him their full attention.

'At the Ministry the other day, I heard- from Dennis, actually, which is funny because you'd think my own daughter might have told- ouch!'

Ginny had elbowed her husband under the table.

'ahem' Harry began again 'I heard that you'd made friends with Dennis's daughter, Hazel isn't it?

Lily couldn't quite meet her fathers eyes. Instead she caught Albus's knowing ones by mistake and became rather flustered.

'Hazel, yes that's her name. She's- she's really, well, she's got this curly hair and rosy cheeks… also she really likes Witch Weekly. A lot. She has all the past winners of the Most Charming Smile Award pinned up on the inside of her trunk-'

The words came tumbling from Lily's mouth so fast that she forgot half way through that she had been trying to portray Hazel as her good friend.

'Even Gilderoy Lockhart?' James asked looking rather disgusted.

'Well why don't you ask her around Lily?' Ginny spoke over James' question.

'Thomas and Johnathan will be coming over quite a bit during the break, and she'd be welcome to stay if she'd like'

'ohhhh' Lily wished that she was better at covering up her true feelings; her feigned enthusiasm fooled no one.

'I would love to- but you know, I heard she's quite busy- her family has gone to- to Egypt I think it was…'

Harry frowned at her.

'But Dennis said he would be on call all Christmas. Those chaps at the Department of Magical Accidents and Catastrophes never do seem to get a break'

'Oh pixie dust- did I say Egypt? Can't have been Egypt, she must have said…'

Albus, seeing Lily floundering, decided to put her out of her misery.

'Ealing. She said she was going to Ealing didn't she?'

'That's an interesting choice of a holiday destination' Ginny said with a raised eyebrow.

'Much closer to the Ministry though' James smirked, enjoying the ridiculousness of the conversation.

Sensing her distress, her parents decided not to pursue the topic. But they remained concerned. It was true that Lily, who was bogged down by the thought that she might be expelled upon return to Hogwarts, was acting incredibly out of character. Harry was used to seeing his daughter turning up the wizarding wireless and dancing around the house or else speeding through the skies around their home on her broom. But now here she was, spending her spare time lying on the lounge staring up at the ceiling or else sat gloomily on the window seat of their front room looking silently out at the valley below them whilst absentmindedly petting Fides.

One evening, Lily came to find him in his study. She felt that it was time she ask him at least one of the questions that had been burning in her mind. She had been putting it off, afraid to hear what his answer might be.

'Dad…' she began, nervously fiddling with the buttons on her pinafore dress.

'What's up Lils?' He said gently, putting down his quill and pushing away the mountain of parchment that had been in front of him.

'Did you and mum take me to a healer when I was little?' Lily knew immediately from her fathers face that James had been speaking the truth.

There was a flash of alarm in Harry's eyes which he quickly suppressed in order that it wouldn't show up on his face.

'Did Montespan tell you that?' He said in a hushed tone.

'Professor Montespan?' Lily was thrown. 'No- why would… What does he have to do with it?'

'Well because…' Harry stopped to think for a moment before letting out a sigh.

'Because he was the one who examined you'

Lily was utterly confused.

'But he's not a healer- he's our transfiguration teacher'

Didn't her father know this?

'He is a healer- or was, rather. The best there was at the time. Before the Ministry took away his license'

'They did what?'

Harry sighed again.

'Hasn't Montespan mentioned any of this? About why he started working there?'

'He told us that he was there doing a favor for the Headmistress… that he'd only be there for a while…'

Harry snorted.

'Not if the Ministry has anything to say about it. And McGonagall's the one doing him a favour. She was the only one who'd give the poor chap a job after the Ministry found him guilty of using unregulated remedies on Witches and Wizards'

Lily was completely aghast.

'So, wait- did he use unregulated remedies on me?'

Was this why she couldn't cast a spell to save her life? Because Professor Montespan had used some strange potion on her?

'No, of course not dear' Harry said quickly. 'This was all long before the scandal, when he was still a very respected healer. And he didn't use any kind of healing magic on you, it was just a check-up. We just wanted to make sure that you were all right because you- well you had a high rate of accidental magic use when you were a very young child'

I have a high rate of that now too, Lily thought bitterly but she didn't voice this to her father.

'It's nothing to be worried about. Montespan found no abnormalities. And it's very common for underage children to exhibit such displays of magic use'

When Lily still looked worried, he added with a grin; 'Did I ever tell you about the time I blew up my Aunt Marge?'

'Yes dad. Only a thousand times' Lily reluctantly grinned back.

It was Christmas Eve and the Potter household was bustling with all of Lily's many relatives and her parents closest friends. It was something of a family tradition that Christmas would be held at the Burrow, Lily's grandparents home, and that Christmas Eve was spent at the Potters. The house was beautifully decorated with several Christmas trees covered in real silver fairies that would fly from branch to branch, showing off their gorgeous wings to the guests. An enchanted Golden Smilax vine with small Christmas-red berries growing from it was wound up their staircase.

Though she tried, Lily found that she really couldn't get into the festive spirit of the occasion. Every time another cousin or uncle or aunt would show up and give her a hug, she couldn't help but wonder about what they would think should she be expelled from Hogwarts.

Lily had excused herself from the festivities and was sat by herself at the window seat of their front room pondering about what muggle occupation might suite her best should she have to live the rest of her life without a magical education when her father called her name from the living room.

'Lily! Where are you? I've someone I'd like you to meet!'

Lily perked up and dutifully walked towards the sound of his voice. But before she made it out of the room, a small woman with incredibly long wavy blond hair and a look of distinct dottiness walked in. She had large pale blue eyes and a dreamy smile on her face. She was also wearing the most interesting suit Lily had ever laid eyes on. It was gold in colour, which paired with her flowing golden locks, gave off the impression that she was some kind of son goddess. The overall effect was quite stunning and Lily found that she instantly loved her.

Harry walked in after her with a smile.

'Lily, this is your Godmother Luna'

'You've gotten so large' Luna said happily.

'How long have I been away?' She asked apparently honestly unsure of the answer.

'Seven years I believe' Harry replied.

'Goodness Gulping Plimpy!' Luna exclaimed, 'Has it really been so long?'

'Luna travels the world in search of new magical creatures- she's a Magizoologist' Harry explained proudly to Lily.

Lily thought that was incredible. She thought Luna was incredible. She couldn't remember meeting someone who she'd instantly liked so much apart from perhaps-

'Lysander!' Lily gasped. Her best friend had just walked into the room out of the blue. In fact, two of him had.

Lily ran forward and into a hug with the Lysander to the left, who she somehow instinctively felt must be her Lysander. Truth be told, the two boys looked exactly alike, down to their strange fashion sense. They were both wearing a very colorful ensemble of baggy cotton pants and checkered vests over floral shirts.

'Lubotubilly!' Lysander was just as delighted and surprised to see her.

'What are you doing here?'

'This is my house Lysander!' Lily laughed.

'You live with Harry Potter?'

'Harry Potter is my dad! Didn't you know? All this time?' Lily was flabbergasted. His dottiness knew no bounds.

'Oh… so that's why your last name is the same. Well fancy that' he said it with the light air of someone who had just solved a crossword puzzle.

Lily just laughed. It was the first time since she had returned home that Harry had seen her do so and he was relieved, if not a little surprised that Lily had befriended Luna's son.

Lily let go of Lysander and turned to look at his double.

'You must be Lorcan' She said with a bright smile and moved forward to give him a hug too. Although he looked just like Lysander, Lily noticed that he had an air of shyness that was absent in her friend.

'Nice to meet you Miss Potter' He said quietly.

'You can call me Lily' She said cheerfully.

'Or Lubotubilly- whichever you prefer'

Lily's family watched on as she instantly turned back into the energetic, bubbly version of herself that they knew and loved. She wanted to show the twins everything in their home and raced around doing so with much enthusiasm. She was thrilled to learn that Lorcan had brought over one of the fiddles he had crafted and begged him to play it for them. After a little coaxing, Lorcan obliged and Lily spent most of the rest of the evening dancing around the living room with Lysander to Lorcan's lively jigs. She found it somewhat difficult to dance however as she kept losing her breath from laughing so much at Lysander's very peculiar way of dancing. Teddy, who loved silliness as much as Lily and could never resist joining in when she was in a giggling mood, got Lysander to teach him some of his moves and together they sent Lily into such a jolly state that her stomach ached from laughter.

Once they had all calmed down, they gathered around by the fireplace and listened to stories from Luna's travels. Lily was in complete awe of her. She had been everywhere- to America to see dancing Mooncalves, to Greece to get a glimpse of the ferocious Chimaera and even to the North Sea to find the Lobalug. Her husband Rolf had planned to join his family at the Potter household but had been caught up in the Great Lakes of North America on assignment for the Daily Prophet to cover a story about some particularly feisty Dugbogs that had been harassing the local muggle population. It seemed that Lysander's parents lived a very nomadic lifestyle, meaning that up until Lysander had entered Hogwarts he had spent almost all of his childhood on the move.

Even after all of the guests had departed for home or for a bed in the Potter household, Lily and the Scamander brothers stayed sitting on the floor chatting away to each other. Lily wanted to know all about Lorcan's studies at the fiddle-crafting muggle school in Germany. When he spoke of it, his eyes lit up and his shyness dissipated. Lily had never considered what it would be like to live as a muggle, but upon hearing Lorcan's passion for his studies she realized that his excitement was just the same as what she had felt when she had first left for Hogwarts.

They were there for so long, that Harry gave in urging them to go to bed and with the flick of his wand transfigured the living room couches into two large beds. Lysander and Lorcan shared one and Lily the other but still they couldn't get to sleep.

When Harry was gone and the house had become completely silent, Lysander sat up in bed and took out the Lingualatis. The sight of it caused Lily's stomach to knot up. In all the excitement and merriness of the evening, she had completely forgotten about the stolen pages.

'Lysander' she tried to look him in the eyes but it was so dark that she couldn't read them.

'Do you really want to read it now?'

'I'd like to read them too Lily' Lorcan said quietly.

Lily didn't want to deny Lorcan this small way in which he could participate in his brothers Hogwarts life. She sighed and went to get the pages from her room.

With one Scamander boy at each side, Lily raised the Lingualatis over the pages once more and began to read…


	21. Hetaeria Sodalitas

January 14th 997

Early came Rowena to me for some advice on her newest proposition, which I had not the knowledge to give with any confidence, but listened closely just the same. Thence we went down to the Hall and up again to Godric's on the seventh floor, where he too took much time in consideration of how we should proceed. Then into the Hall again, where we met with Salazar, he being just come from France.

Rowena was much agitated to get across her idea correctly, Salazar being so very at odds with many of her schemes. Alas, again they disagreed on many accounts about the nature of beasts and how Rowena's enchantment should work if wee were all four to take another form.

Rowena, for her part, is sure that should wee succeed in our transformations and take on the disposition of beasts, thence the sacred blood oath shall be strengthened thrice-fold.

Salazar's reluctance comes from his belief in the inferiority of beasts, he of the mind that naught exists any being which could perform more powerful an enchantment than a wizard.

Rowena vext by this, departed in a fury I have not seen her in before. Wee are all weary of the death and disease that has plagued our castle since the day wee began taking in pupils, but none more soe perhaps than Rowena who wishes to see her castle as a safe hold for the lives within it.

At night to supper with the pupils, all weary and to bed.

January 30th 997

It snowed hard all this morning, and was very cold, and my nose was much swelled with cold.

Rowena hath returned. She brings with her many books on the subject of theiranthropy by which she hopes to convince Salazar. One such book, has mention of Rowena's very idea; in this they call it Hetaeria Sodalitas.

Wee four of us debate again on the dangers of attempting such a feat. Once more, nothing is decided and we part with troubled hearts.

I attend to the sick-bed of a little girl, by name of Rosey who I do not think has much longer before she is lost to us.

And soe, weary of heart, to bed.

February 17th 997

For these two or three days I have been much troubled with thoughts how to get safety to them that we have brought here on the pretense of an education.

By our own neglect this month alone, four have passed beyond the vail; one being little Rosey. Lost forever, by reason of a terrible curse having come down upon the castle. Those four were all of pure-blood birth, which hath caused much distress to Salazar.

Rowena again, beseeches us to take on the disposition of beasts and form a Solidatis. Beasts, she tells us, are inclined to act on instinct, do not suffer from the human tendency towards deceit. Rowen is of the mind that raw emotion formulated through instinct is a great power which can conceive of the most extraordinary magic. On this point, Salazar and Godric are of a different mind, both being strong believers in the rational, wand-contrived magic of recent years.

I myself cannot bee certain one way or another, but am desperate for some relief from the darkness which has engulfed us since the opening of our school. I cannot shake the face of small Rosey, who passed much tormented by the terrible curse. I thence find myself unable to do else but beg Godric and Salazar to test this scheme of Rowena's.

We take a vote; it is decided. We are to bee beasts.

April 20th 998

This morning Godric, Rowena, Salazar and I did eat our breakfast at the Hall with our pupils, upon a cold turkey-pie and a goose. The pupils quite enraptured with Godric's daily performance of transforming into a fierce lion for their merriment.

Rowen is less prone to show her new powers, only transforming when there is need of a particular transmittance to be flown in secret out of the castle. Salazar even more soe. He hath hardly been seen by any as a serpent. I feel perhaps he is ashamed, thinking that form to bee inferior to his original one.

As for myself, I do find it is much easier to sleep in my badger form, due to the frost of a morning and so am inclined to spend all my nights as such.

Wee are still far from our ambition. Rowena believes there will be a time when wee are ready, once settled into our new forms and able to let our instincts lead us towards the great oath, bonding us forever.

May 24th 998

As we have in every thing else, soe we have this afternoone done what no-one with any moderate reason expected of us. But dear reader, future educators of our beloved pupils, I beseech you consider that what wee have done reaches but for the span of our days, and therefore pray you to hasten some other expedient to serve our pupils and their dire need of safety. What wee have done herein being very irregular, and possibly not able I thinke to bee done twise.

But should yee who reads this be willing to attempt our feat, for the protection of all future pupils, I shall take note of how we formed Hetaeria Sodalitas;

First, one must hold the leaf of a mandrake in one's mouth for the length of an entire moon. This leaf must never be touched by sunlight.

Thence, one must let this leaf be drowned in moonlight. Not a single cloud can block this moonlight else all shall be for naught.

The entry ended abruptly here and Lily and Lysander could not find the next page which continued on from it. Alasdair must have left it in it's rightful place in the journal. For the first time, Lily felt disappointed that he hadn't torn more pages out. They nevertheless went on to read the page dated chronologically closest to the last one.

June 7th 998

Many moons have passed since we struck our oath. Such peace, as wee have naught seen before has taken hold of us and wee delight in the progress of our beloved pupils, who in the safety of our castle walls are able to finally receive an education uninhibited by the dark curses of our enemies.

Even Salazar has come to thrive in his new form. I see him oft communicating with the serpents he now keeps with him in his presence at all times- in his chambers and his classrooms.

Wee, at peace, find sleep easily.

Lily rustled through the pile of paper and found a few more pages from the same year, detailing about the lives of the founders and the uses they found for their animagus forms. These entries were markedly different from the previous ones in that they were much more positive in tone. Having somehow ensured that their castle could not be breached by more deadly plagues of magical disease, the founders had more room to branch out and bestow all kinds of knowledge unto their students. They taught about both wand-use and wand-less magic, magical plant care, potion brewing and non-verbal spells and even held the odd ball or two. But all of these merry entries came to and end, with the one last page nothing more than a torn shred with a few short scribbles of writing.

June 16th 999

A pupil dead. Serpent bites to their neck.

Wee are all afeared that this is the doing of Salazar.

June 17th 999

Salazar has fled. Herein the Sodalitas between Godric, Rowena and myself thus broken. Our pupils are in danger, the black death upon us once again.

And that was the end. Though Lily checked again for good measure, that seemed to be the last of all the pages Alasdair had provided. Lily, Lysander and Lorcan looked up from the Lingualatis and around at each other's faces. Though the darkness masked their expressions, they could each sense a feeling of sadness from one another at this abrupt and miserable ending to their glimpse into the inner lives of the founders.

Lily found herself gloomily wishing that she too could turn herself into a badger to help herself sleep through the chill that permeated the air that night.


	22. Eating Hours

The enthralling content of Helga Hufflepuff's diary was almost enough to take Lily's mind off of the likelihood of her imminent expulsion from Hogwarts upon her return.

But not quite.

Lily forced herself to stay calm over the remainder of the holidays by formulating a plan.

The moment she returned to Hogwarts, she instructed Alasdair to meet her and Lysander in the boy's bathroom of the Astronomy tower the next evening after classes.

Alasdair appeared quite excited at the prospect of hearing her plan. He was, Lily was beginning to realize, very fond indeed of all manner of schemes and plots.

The next morning at breakfast, Lily noticed walking in that the Great Hall was filled with an unusual amount of chatter and whispering. At first, being still paranoid as she was that she was about to be expelled, she froze in fear thinking that the students were talking about her and the vandalized journal.

But she quickly realized that nobody was paying her any attention. Instead, all eyes were on an article splashed across the front page of The Daily Prophet, which was scattered all over the four long tables.

Lily went over to where Albus was sitting at the centre of a crowd of Gryffindor boys, holding up the paper for them to see.

'blimey' Thomas was saying in a hushed voice. 'What a terrible way to go'

Lily peered over Albus's shoulder at the headline which read; First recorded wizard death by Noirmorter in two centuries. The photo was of a stocky elderly man smiling and picking up a little girl who appeared to be his granddaughter.

'Gawain Robards… dad worked for him for a bit. He used to be the Head of the Auror Office…' Albus muttered, his eyes flicking across the page as he spoke. He looked over his shoulder realizing that Lily was there and they gave each other an anxious stare. Any kind of bad news connected to the auror office always made them worry for their father, even if in this case it was only the death of an elderly man by a magical disease.

'Noirmorter… that's that plague Binns mentioned in his semester on Hogwarts history, wasn't it?' Johnathan said from where he sat next to James who was also busy reading over the article.

'The one that killed a dozen students? Yeah that's the one' James confirmed.

'But that was classed as an wizard-inflicted curse right? As opposed to a corollary curse that comes about unintentionally as a result of some other kind of magic. So this death must have been planned- it must have been a murder' Johnathan said in alarm.

'Do you suppose that means your dad will be investigating it?' Thomas asked Albus.

'Couldn't tell you' Albus replied dismissively, but Lily could hear the worry in his voice.

After a morning of defense against the dark arts and charms classes in which Lily confirmed to herself and everyone else that nothing had changed over the Christmas break and she was still the most terrible witch to grace Hogwarts, it was time for lunch.

Lily headed straight to Professor Montespan's office. He had enchanted some gold lettering to float in front of his door which read 'no consultations during eating hours'. Lily told herself that 'eating hours' were a subjective construct open to interpretation, waved the letters out of her way with a swish of her hand and knocked loudly on the door. Professor Montespan didn't answer but she thought she could hear the sound of someone inside so she pushed open the door and let herself in.

'-if you'll just read what it says here, I think you'll find that there is a possibility that this could work Sir'

Lily was surprised to see the back of Scorpius's white-blond head. He stood in front of Montespan's desk holding one of his tattered old books open and outstretched for the Professor to see.

'For the last time Scorpius, I'm sorry, but there is nothing to be done-' Montespan was looking uncomfortable and weary.

The professor noticed Lily from over Scorpius's shoulder. He perked up, about to say something but Scorpius didn't let him get a word in.

'If you could just look at it- that's all I'm asking Sir, just read this over and consider it first-' Scorpius's voice rose in apparent frustration. This was not how Lily had ever heard any of the other students speak to the professors before. Scorpius's teeth were grit with barely suppressed anger.

But Montespan didn't scold him for his tone. On the contrary, he repeated very gently;

'Scorpius, there is nothing to be done. I'm sorry.'

Scorpius slowly exhaled out of his clenched teeth before opening his mouth to argue further but Montespan cut him off.

'Now why don't you run along so I can see what Miss Potter wants?'

Not having been aware that Lily was standing behind him, Scorpius spun around to look at her.

'Didn't either of you read what was written outside my door?' Montespan exclaimed in annoyance.

'You always have that there Sir' Scorpius pointed out.

'And you always ignore it' Montespan shot back.

Scorpius snapped up the book from where he had thrust it onto Montespan's desk and hurried past Lily, shouting back to the professor as he went; 'talk to you again tomorrow then Sir'

'Busy tomorrow!' Montespan yelled after him just before the door slammed shut.

Lily stood very still at the centre of the room, unsure of what she had just witnessed.

Montespan let out a long sigh and put his feet up on the desk. He looked up at the ceiling as though praying for mercy as he asked;

'And what is it that you want from me Miss Potter?'

Lily found it difficult to broach such an important topic when the person she was talking to wasn't even looking at her, but she cut straight to the point anyway.

'I want to know what you told my father'

Montespan lowered his eyes from the ceiling to her face where he held them for a beat, trying to read her.

'What I told your father when?' He clarified very slowly and deliberately.

'When you examined me- when I was little'

Montespan shut his eyes and took a deep breath.

'Merlin- what a day…' he muttered, taking a hand up to support his forehead as he leaned over the table.

'Dad said he had you examine me because of my frequent accidental magic use' Lily clarified, trying to prompt him to hurry up and answer her question.

'He said you didn't find anything abnormal, but-'

'But you still can't control your magic' the professor finished her sentence for her. 'Not in the way you'd like to anyway'

'yes' Lily said faintly, suddenly at a loss for words.

Montespan cleared his throat and sucked on his teeth, thinking.

'Sir, is there something wrong with me? Something that maybe you didn't realize at the time- or, or that you didn't want to tell my father?' Lily burst out.

'Well when your father- Mr Potter- came to me he wasn't so much worried about you not being able to control your magic as he was that you yourself were uncontrollable'

'What's that supposed to mean?' Lily's voice came out hoarsely.

'He was worried that your magical outbursts were a result of some kind of trauma, that you'd developed an obscurus'

When Lily looked blankly at him, he quickly explained; 'an Obscurial- a person who has developed an obscurus- is someone who forces their magic inside themselves due to some kind of trauma, thereby creating a dark parasitical magical force within themselves.'

Lily's eyes widened, her heart beating fast.

'But I've never been through any trauma Sir! I had a very happy upbringing-'

'Exactly what I told Mr Potter when I explained to him that you are most definitely not an obscurial' Montespan said with an air of finality.

But Lily didn't feel satisfied with that explanation at all.

'But my dad must have known that I hadn't experienced any trauma without needing you to tell him-'

'Well he did mention that you'd once let a criminal into the house. Seemed worried that something might have happened to you then'

'Josephus Durer?' Lily groaned and rolled her eyes. Though she couldn't remember much about it, her brothers would never let her forget the episode in which she had innocently invited the most dangerous wizard of the decade into their family home for tea.

'Yes, that's the guy. Turns out you really did just drink a nice old pot of tea together' Montespan chuckled, apparently just as amused by the story as her brothers had been.

'So then, what is wrong with me?' Lily demanded.

'Well I don't know' Montespan said lightly. He made a fuss of gathering his papers together on his desk as though to signal to her that the conversation was over, but Lily was most definitely not ready for it to be over.

'My father told me you were the best healer there was- you must have some idea-' she began.

'Yes, well that's just the thing; I am the best healer there was. But I'm not one anymore, so you'll need to go elsewhere to get a diagnosis' he sounded not just a little bit jaded by the fact of the matter.

That word; diagnosis. It jogged Lily's memory.

'Not a diagnosis… but a theory…' she said more to herself than to him.

'What's that Miss Potter?' Montespan said with a frown.

'Do you think I might have- Com… compass.. compassio…' Lily willed herself to remember the name of the condition Scorpius had mentioned that evening she had cried in front of him in the library.

'Compassiomeidis?' Montespan finished for her.

'Yes. You don't think I could have that do you?'

'And where did you get that idea from?' Montespan was looking at her curiously with his eyebrow raised.

'From a book' Lily lied. She didn't really see why it was important.

'That seems unlikely' he said pointedly.

'Very unlikely indeed considering the Hogwarts library does not contain any books on magical conditions which have not yet been proven or classified. I know that for a fact because none of my books have been added to the collection'

Lily shuffled her feet, uncomfortably.

'The book was in a shop' she muttered.

'I see' Montespan said crisply, obviously unconvinced.

'It's just I find it very curious that in the short span of a few months, two of my students ask me about an obscure magical condition that I have never once heard of before in my entire healing career'

He was looking directly at her with his eyebrows raised but Lily avoided his gaze by staring at the floor.

'So you don't know anything about it then, this condition?' she muttered, defeated.

'No Miss Potter. Mr Malfoy appears to however, should you be interested'

'right'

Embarrassed about being caught out lying, she shuffled sulkily out of the Professor's office. It was obvious that he wasn't going to attempt to help her figure out her problem.

She would need to do that herself.


	23. Spellbound

' _That's_ your plan?' Alasdair was intensely disappointed.

'Yes' Lily stared straight into his eyes, standing her ground.

'to  _put the pages back_?' He asked again incredulously. 'Forgive me Lily, but I was imagining something a little more detailed and well thought out than that-'

'If you got them out of the room, you should be able to put them back' Lily glared at him. Alasdair was the one who had gotten her into this mess, the least he could do would be to try to get her out of it.

'Don't you think the headmistress might have added a few more precautions in by now to make sure nobody gets into that room again?'

'She might have' Lily conceded, 'But even if you do happen to be caught, what's she going to do to you Alasdair?  _You're already dead_!'

Alasdair gasped dramatically.

'So you think I'm not worth anything because I happen to not be living? You think my reputation, my place here at Hogwarts is not of any importance whatsoever-'

Lily hurried to cut him off before he launched further into his rant.

'Yes, alright, I'm sorry. But Alasdair, you did say you would do anything to help me and now I really do need help- and mostly, I might add, because of what  _you_  did!'

Alasdair paused for a moment, his face still defiant.

'I'm not saying I won't help you Lily. Just not this way. It's too stupid'

'Those pages were very interesting' Lysander said diplomatically as Lily attempted to throttle Alasdair for being so blunt but only succeeded in making herself more frustrated when her arm went predictably through him.

'I didn't know the founders were animagus. Or anything about the blood oath they had made to protect Hogwarts'

'Yes, well that's because the only place where that oath is recorded about is in that diary' Alasdair said. 'I certainly thought that you'd be interested. Or at least a little more appreciative that I'd gotten such interesting information to you'

Lily rolled her eyes. 'Yes, I'm not saying it wasn't interesting Alasdair- but what exactly are we supposed to do with that kind of information? It doesn't seem worth being expelled for-'

'Doesn't it?' Alasdair retorted, his nose in the air and his eyes narrowed. 'It's certainly valuable enough for the current Headmaster and all those of times past to have hidden it away with numerous protection spells.'

Suddenly, Alasdair thrust his face towards Lily's and opened his eyes dramatically.

'And you never know when Hogwarts will need protecting again' He whispered, looking her straight in the eye.

'What's that supposed to mean?' Lily said mockingly trying to hide her interest in the answer.

'Just that people are dying of curses that haven't been seen for centuries- curses that have been used to attack the student body here before'

'You mean Noirmorter?' She shot at him, suddenly very curious.

Alasdair shrugged.

'Doesn't really matter does it? We're putting those pages back aren't we?'

Lily groaned at his childishness. She knew he wanted her to beg him for more information about the dangers of Noirmorter but she wasn't going to give him that satisfaction.

'Yes-  _you_  are' She took the pages out of her bag and thrust them towards him.

Alasdair sighed, taking them from her.

'We can't do that'

Alasdair and Lily both spun around at the unexpected protest from Lysander.

'Why not?' Lily asked.

'Because we don't have all the pages' Lysander looked from Alasdair to Lily and back again with his usual dreamy expression.

Lily had almost forgotten;  _Poppy_. She still had one.

'Aha!' Alasdair shouted triumphantly. 'Lysander is right- if we put the pages back and the headmistress finds out Balfour has one, we'd effectively be framing her for a crime she did not commit!'

He seemed terribly pleased for an excuse not to have to try to return his stolen goods.

'Would that be bad?' Lily looked to Alasdair for the answer to her question, not trusting Alasdair's ethical judgment.

Lysander nodded causing Lily to sigh.

'We could get the page back from her' Alasdair said, a scheming grin forming on his face.

'But how? Even if we managed to somehow steal it back, surely she'd realize it was me and go straight to the Headmistress-'

Alasdair's grin widened 'We'll use the pixie dust you have in your trunk to get her to do a trade with us'

'You've got pixie dust?' Lysander asked excitedly 'That's very rare you know. And very illegal too.'

'Alasdair-' Lily was scandalized. 'You- you've been looking through my trunk?!'

'What did you expect when you befriended the strange ghost that stalked you?' Fides chimed in unhelpfully.

'Oh, I've been through most students belongings' Alasdair said dismissively.

'And when you've been around for centuries, well you have a lot of time to think about things like 'why are we so possessive over objects which we cannot carry on to the next life?'

'So you went through my stuff because you're a philosopher?' Lily's voice was dripping with sarcasm.

'Something like that' he replied, completely serious.

'Either way- all we need to do is find something that she might vaguely want and put some of that pixie dust on it so that it appears beautiful to her. I tell you- she'll be coming to us asking to do a deal'

Not having really understood how pixie dust worked when she had been gifted it by Teddy, Lily was dubious.

'So- it'll make her think she wants it?'

'It will make her feel attracted to it- to remember it and think about it for days after she's seen it' Alasdair clarified.

Lily spent a long time thinking about what object to sprinkle the pixie dust on. According to Alastair the plan would work best if it was something she might already be interested in or want. But Lily couldn't imagine what Poppy might want that she didn't already have, considering her father appeared to be the wealthiest muggle in all of Scotland.

* * *

A few days later, Lily headed back to the Gryffindor common room during lunch to collect the herbology text book that she had forgotten to take with her that morning. She fully expected the common room to be empty during this time and so was surprised to hear the sound of music coming from the girl's dormitory. As Lily ascended the stairs, she realized that the beautiful voice she could hear was not coming from the wireless but was singing along with it.

Lily was struck by how this voice could sound deep and strong and airy all at once and paused at the top of the stairs to listen in. She loved music and felt a pang of jealousy towards the owner of this voice. What she wouldn't do to have a voice like that.

Torn between her curiousness to know who it was and her desire to listen further, Lily stood in front of the door for a few minutes before finally opening it.

At the back of the room, Poppy Balfour sat on Lily's bed, her back turned to her. Lily's mouth dropped open and she froze. Poppy had turned on the wizarding wireless that was on Lily's bedside table. She was singing along to the new Spellbound hit that Lily had been hooked on for the last few weeks.

Lily didn't know how to feel. On the one hand, Poppy was using her things without permission. On the other, she was making one of Lily's new favorite songs sound even better than the original.

The door slowly swung shut behind Lily making a clicking noise as it went back into place. Alerted to Lily's presence by the noise, Poppy turned suddenly around and stoped singing abruptly part-way through the chorus. The two stared at each other for a moment before Poppy hurried waved her wand to silence the wireless and rushed back towards her own bed.

'Wait-' Lily said, still enchanted by her voice. 'You can listen to it if you want- whenever you-'

Lily stopped herself quickly, forcing herself to come back to her senses and not loose this opportunity to get what she needed from Poppy.

Poppy hadn't seemed repentant at all at having been found using Lily's belongings, but at Lily's words her face seemed to relax into what could almost be interpreted as gratitude. That was, until Lily took it back.

'Actually, no. Don't ever touch my stuff' Lily said in a rush.

Poppy's eyes narrowed in annoyance and her face scrunched up in confusion at Lily's sudden change of mind.

'Who said I wanted to Potter?' She shot back, instantly defensive.

'You did, when you used it' Lily pointed out.

'I was only curious about what Witches and Wizards listen to these days- just thought I'd see how it compared to normal music. But it's fine, theres way better songs out there without needing to listen to your stupid radio thing anyway'

Lily assumed that when Poppy said 'normal' she meant 'muggle' and that when she said radio she was referring to a muggle wireless. Either way, Poppy's defensiveness wasn't fooling her.

She had found it; the one thing that Poppy Balfour wanted.

* * *

Lily made plans to use the pixie dust on her wizarding wireless with Alasdair whilst the other students were at dinner. She wanted Alasdair to be there because she didn't want to get the process wrong and he seemed fairly knowledgeable about it. It turned out to be a very simple matter of taking a few pinches of the dust from the tin and sprinkling them over it.

When Lily had finished doing so, Alasdair grinned from ear to ear with confidence at their plan. Lily was less certain- could a few sprinkles of dust really make Poppy give them what they asked for?

But it became almost immediately clear to Lily that the pixie dust was doing it's job when night after night, she would catch Poppy staring at her bedside table, transfixed. On a few occasions she even caught her walking towards the wireless before hurrying off when she noticed Lily watching her. Alasdair had said to give it a few days to ensure that Poppy was well and truly obsessed.

After about a week, Lily decided that it was time to give it a try. She feigned sleep that evening, and listened in wait for Poppy. Sure enough, the faint sound of Poppy's footsteps became more pronounced as the mesmerized girl came closer and closer to Lily's bedside table. Once Poppy reached within a metre of her bed, Lily opened one eye and stared straight at Poppy's face which was pale with desire.

'You can have it if you like' she said lightly.

Poppy tore her eyes away from the wireless to look over at Lily, apparently trying to discern if she would really give it to her. Lily almost felt sorry for her, she looked positively unwell, apparently having lost the ability to look after her usually shiny hair and immaculate appearance due to her obsession with the wireless.

Her hair was messier than Lily had ever seen it, though she herself couldn't talk as her hair was usually in such a state, and she hadn't performed any of her usual crease-flattening spells on her uniform.

She also seemed to have lost all sense of pride and superiority towards Lily in her desire to get the wireless. After staring at Lily's face for a moment, she rushed towards the wireless and went to snatch it up.

'-if you give me back the page from my diary you took' Lily said loudly, stopping her in her tracks.

Poppy's hand froze outstretched over the wireless. She exhaled, trying to gather her wits about her.

'You mean the one you stole from that precious book the Headmistress mentioned?' Poppy said slowly and menacingly.

'I want the page back that you took' Lily repeated refusing to confirm or deny the allegation.

Poppy looked from Lily to the wireless and back again. Lily held her breath, willing their plan to work.

'Alright fine!' Poppy snatched up the wireless, giving in to her apparent need for it.

But Lily quickly grabbed Poppy's wrist and pried the wireless out of it.

'Get me the page first' she instructed her coldly.

Poppy ran back to her own bed and threw open her trunk to retrieve the page.

There was reluctance in her eyes as she thrust the page towards Lily but that soon disappeared once she had her hands on the wireless.

And that was how Lily and the rest of the Gryffindor first years ended up having to listen to the Spellbound hit every evening for the rest of the year.


	24. The Black Death

Once Lily had given the last page to Alasdair, he dutifully, if not reluctantly, took them back to the room with the Quill of Acceptance and The Book of Admittance whilst Lily and Lysander were in their classes. When Lily asked him about it afterward, it seemed that he had been able to get them back under the door and into the diary without any problems. As several weeks had passed since they had returned from the Christmas holidays and the headmistress had not brought up the matter again, Lily found herself able to sleep better at night and considered the matter well and truly over with.

Unfortunately the matter of Noirmorter was not over. Every morning there seemed to be a new case being reported about in the Daily Prophet. Albus seemed particularly interested in the sudden epidemic and Lily learned from him that their father was indeed looking into the deaths of those who had caught the curse as highly suspicious.

Of all the reports of deaths by Noirmorter, the most highly publicised and shocking were of those of a handful of young Durmstrang students. All of the students had been in attendance at the Institute when they passed away, leading to serious alarm about the safety of the other students.

The entire school was abuzz with rumors about the mysterious source of the outbreak. Professor Binns found himself answering so many questions about the curse and the deaths it had caused at Hogwarts two centuries ago that he decided it would be more efficient to change the first year's curriculum to include a few weeks on the subject.

In one such lesson, Binns passed around an illustrated book detailing the outbreak at Hogwarts, which showed the many deaths of young students at the school at the time. The moving illustrations of children writhing in pain as they hallucinated great horrors were enough to terrify all of the first years into silence.

Lily however, let out a loud gasp when the book made it's way into her view. On the page in front of her was the unmistakable face of Alasdair, his eyes wide with fright as he endured a great amount of suffering on the floor of the Slytherin common room before gradually becoming stiff with death. This was not the Alasdair she knew however- this was Alasdair before he had become a pale reflection of his previous self. This was Alasdair just before he died.

The caption underneath the illustration read; 'Alasdair Quintin- the only pureblood student to die of Noirmorter'

Lily was in shock as she quickly slid the book to the student to her right. But even after it had left her sight, she could not get the awful image of her friend in pain out of her mind. Lily had never asked about the circumstances of Alasdair's death. She hadn't really thought to, as to her, it felt like his ghostly form was his original and most Alasdair-like form. But of course he had had a life. A life, Lily realised, that she really knew nothing about.

'This is why he was so worried about Hogwarts with the reemergence of Noirmorter' Lily said in a hushed tone to Fides who was riding on her shoulder as she walked quickly away after class.

'I guess experiencing it first hand will do that to you'

Lily was lost deep in thought as she walked briskly through the corridors. Why hadn't Alasdair told Lily about his death when he had mentioned Noirmorter? Was it too painful of a memory to relive?

After a long silence, Fides brought her back to earth by meowing loudly in her ear.

'Where are we going?'

'To find out more about this curse- I need to know what my father is up against' Lily said, her voiced strained with worry.

She stopped outside Professor Montespan's office door. As usual, a number of floating gold letters were blocking the door, but this time they read;

'If it starts with an N and ends with a oirmorter I don't want to hear about it'

Lily groaned, trying to decide whether it would be worth attempting to burst into his office anyway and demand answers.

'Well. Could've seen that coming' Fides muttered, 'Not a very helpful chap is he?'

Lily shuffled back and forth indecisively before Fides suggested;

'Why don't you try looking it up in the library?'

_The library_. Yes, perhaps she could try there.

Lily fished around in her bag as she made her way towards the library. At the very bottom she found the tin of ointment that had helped her clear up the remaining bruises Carrow had given her that night in the Slytherin common room.

As soon as she arrived, she slid the tin across the small desk to Scorpius who looked up in surprise. She hadn't been back there since that fateful night, never giving him an explanation for her sudden need for his healing talents. She imagined that he must have heard about the explosion in the Slytherin common room, but whether he had put two and two together she didn't know.

'Thought I should return this' She explained, but he just looked back at her with his usual expressionless face.

'Thank you' she added quickly.

Scorpius put his hand out to slide the tin towards himself and into his open bag, silently nodding away her gratitude.

He went straight back to reading, seeming to assume she had come to do the same. But Lily didn't take out her books this time. She just watched him, trying to decide how to broach the topic at hand.

Scorpius looked somewhat uncomfortable, seeming to realize she was staring at him but not knowing how to address it. After a few awkward seconds ticked by, he put his book down and looked back up at her.

'Is there something else I can do for you?' He said, more perplexed than bothered.

'You seem to know a lot about curses' Lily said.

'I suppose you could say that' he sniggered, though Lily could not tell why.

'Do you know about Noirmorter then?' Lily didn't hide her desperation to know more about the curse.

Scorpius raised an eyebrow at her, finally breaking his poker face.

'Why are you asking me? I'm sure any of the Professors could tell you about it-'

'They won't tell me how it's cast though, and that's what I want to know' Lily cut him off defensively.

Scorpius shot her an amused look.

'So you do want to place a curse on someone' He teased.

'Don't be daft' Lily muttered annoyed. Why was it that everyone seemed to think she was always looking for trouble?

'I need to know how likely it is that my father could catch it' She blurted out, feeling rather embarrassed by the vulnerability she had shown through the worry in her voice.

Scorpius was silent for a moment. Thankfully he didn't taunt her as she had feared he might.

'You mean your father Harry Potter?' He clarified.

'yes' Lily said quietly.

There was a certain uneasiness in the air between them that Lily knew must be because the Malfoy family had been on the other side of the war against lord Voldemort. Lily knew there were a handful of students whose parents had been death eaters in the school, but none came up in conversation between her family as much as the Malfoy family. Though she didn't know all the details, she did know that the Malfoys were hated by Voldemort opposers and supporters alike, having contributed to his reign and yet somehow avoided Azkaban after his fall.

For that reason, Lily was surprised to hear the sympathy in Scorpius's answer.

'Your father survived the killing curse- he destroyed the most powerful wizard there ever was. I'm sure he can manage a measly curse. Noirmorter is curable, after all'

'It is?' Lily prompted him for further explanation.

Scorpius exhaled as he looked into her hopeful face, seeming to decide that it would be worth explaining what he knew to her if for no other reason than to get her out of his hair.

'The only reason Noirmorter is so deadly is because it takes hold of its victim with incredible speed and is so hard to detect,  _not_  because it is incurable. A witch or wizard who has contracted Noirmorter won't experience any discomfort until a few moments before their death, when they will experience hallucinations and extreme pain'

'So how can you tell if somebody has it?' Lily asked, captivated.

'Their eyes will change' Scorpius responded, 'They'll turn a slightly duller version of their original colour'

'But surely that would be almost impossible to spot?'

'In most cases yes- unless you are specifically looking for traces of it. But it can be cured with a variety of readily available potions, including the Wiggenweld Potion. I'm sure the Auror office would have stocked up on it by now, so that in the unlikely event that some stupid wizard or witch decides to try to curse the reputable Harry Potter, he'll be able to heal himself at the drop of a hat'

Lily couldn't be sure if Scorpius was spinning his answer to make her feel better, but it certainly was working to allay her fears.

'So then how is it cast?' Lily tried to steer the conversation back to her original question.

Scorpius narrowed his eyes and paused.

'For the last time- I'm not trying to curse anyone!'

'Not going to set anyone on fire? Or explode another common room?'

So he had discerned that she had been behind the infamous Slytherin common room incident.

'I told you- I didn't set Poppy Balfour on fire and I didn't mean to attack Horon Carrow either, though Merlin knows he deserved-' Lily stopped abruptly as Scorpius began to chuckle.

So he had just been trying to rile her up. Her realisation of this made her stop trying to defend herself and wait patiently for him to contain his mirth.

'Okay, sorry. Yes, I'm sure he did deserve it' said Scorpius when he had calmed down. He seemed rather pleased for some reason.

'Another reason that Noirmorter is seen as so dangerous is because unlike most other curses, the caster does not have to be in the vicinity of the accursed. They do however need something of theirs in order to be able to curse them, for example a hair or a fingernail. The only other thing I can tell you is that it is a long and complicated process that involves brewing a potion and scattering it in the wind under moonlight' Scorpius explained.

'The thing is Potter- Lily' he said leaning in closer towards her. 'Nobody really knows exactly how it is cast or they would go about making those potions ingredients illegal and unobtainable'

This was already a lot more than Professor Binns had told them and so Lily was satisfied with the answer.

'But then' she thought out loud to herself, 'How is anyone ever going to be able to catch the person, or people, who are behind all this?'

Scorpius shrugged.

'It does seem like a fairly impossible task. No one was able to do it when the outbreak happened at Hogwarts or centuries before then when it afflicted the muggle population-'

'There were more outbreaks before then?' Lily asked surprised, 'It killed muggles too?'

'Well nobody knows for certain' Scorpius said in a hushed voice, 'But some say that the incredible speed of infection and the fact that wizards were unable to step in and contain the black death in the 14th century indicate that it was most likely a strain of Noirmorter'

'But that killed  _millions_  of muggles didn't it?' Lily was horrified.

'Anywhere from 30 to 60 per cent of Europe' Scorpius confirmed, 'the name is a bit of a giveaway isn't it?  _Black Death_?'

'Merlin' Lily exhaled. 'We could be facing another plague? No wonder everyone is so ruffled'

'Here' Scorpius reached down and into his bag to produce a book covered in black leather 'This book has more in it on the subject of Noirmorter than this whole library'

Lily slowly and uncertainly took the book from him, looking it over.

'Is this from your father's shop?' she asked, thinking back to the book he had mentioned which contained information about Compassiomeidis.

Scorpius nodded, 'There isn't anything about Compassiomeidis though' he said reading her thoughts.

'There is only one book which mentions that and it's for sale at the shop'

'oh' Lily said thoughtfully.

After thanking Scorpius she left the library with yet another of his possessions that she supposed she would need to return at some point.

But first, Lily needed to speak to Alasdair.


	25. Common sense

It was a beautiful Spring day and Lily, Fides, Lysander and Alasdair were outside under one of the many bridges that hung over sections of the lake, searching the shallow parts for Grindylows so that Lysander could test whether they would take to steak and kidney pie.

Lily had thought to bring up the matter of Alasdair's demise with him straight away. But she found the topic quite difficult to broach somehow, especially on such a stunning day.

'Alasdair' she began lightly as she crouched down and slid her hands through the water weeds in the hope that a Grindylow might grab onto them.

'What's it like to die?'

Lysander and Fides both instantly turned to look at her with part interest and part concern. But Alasdair just cocked his head and said in his mock philosophers voice;

'Oh yes, death. How beautiful death must be. To have no yesterday, and no to-morrow. To forget time, to forget life, to be at peace'

He looked wistfully off towards the green grasses of the grounds.

'Sorry to disappoint, but I haven't the faintest idea. I've not died- not properly anyway' he finished dryly.

'But you lost your life… to…'

Lily paused, still uncertain as to how cautious she should act towards bringing up the past he had so obviously avoided mentioning.

'..to Noirmorter' she finished, giving into curiosity over caution.

Lily looked carefully at him to try to discern what he was thinking but Alasdair's face had simply hardened in thought. He remained very still hovering over the lake, his ghostly reflection an even paler version of his already pale self. Lysander looked up in surprise from where he stood knee deep in the lake with fistfuls of soggy pie.

'Noirmorter? Really? That must have been dreadful' Lysander spoke softly and with much empathy.

'Not so bad' Alasdair retorted with forced jollity, 'better way to go than that Edmund Grubb- greedy old sod died right in front of the Great Hall doors when they were locked at night trying to get in, did you know that?'

'Alasdair-' Lily tried in vain to bring him back on topic.

'He wanted so badly to stuff his face with anything that he ate some poisonous berries and 'Wollah!'- now we have to endure his moaning about how bad the food is at everyone's deathday parties-'

' _Alasdair_ -' Lily said his name more firmly this time.

'Of course it's bad! It's all gone bloody moldy hasn't it!' Alasdair was on the point of hysterics now and Lily was beginning to suspect the real reason for this was not his feelings towards Edmund Grubb.

'I think I'd prefer dying whilst stuffing my face than in terrible amounts of pain' Fides meowed from the shore. It was not the first time Lily was glad she was the only one who could understand him.

'Silly sod couldn't even die properly because he wanted so badly to continue eating!' Alasdair carried on with his sudden and disconcerting tirade against Edmund.

His thinly vailed attempts to change the topic of conversation off of himself only made Lily more curious and determined to force him to open up about his death.

'And why couldn't  _you_  die properly?' She asked pointedly.

Alasdair gave her a grumpy look.

'That's not a very nice thing to ask now is it?' He said sulkily.

'I'm not saying I'm not glad that you didn't' Lily said in the sweetest voice she could muster, trying to butter him up.

Alasdair just raised an eyebrow at her, unconvinced. Then he sighed.

'Because nobody stopped them- because they're still out there'

He was uncharacteristically serious for a moment.

'Who is they?' Lily asked as dread began to lace her stomach.

'The people who killed me and all the other people they will go on cursing unless you try to stop them'

He was looking directly at her as he spoke.

'Me?' said Lily incredulously.

'Why not  _you_  Lily Potter?'

'Because I can't- because someone else ought to-' She began.

'But don't you see? That's precisely what  _someone else_  is thinking' Alasdair looked at her scornfully.

A strained silence passed between them. Lily couldn't comprehend how Alasdair could expect so much of her. Apart from being only eleven years old, she also happened to be incredibly magically inept.

'Noirmorter will come to Hogwarts again' Alasdair said gravely. 'And when it does Hogwarts will need protection'

'How do you know it will come again?' Lily frowned.

'Did you not read those diary pages I got for you?' Alasdair was visibly frustrated, but for the life of her, Lily couldn't understand what he was getting at.

'The diary spoke about the deaths of students… about the persecution they endured because muggles were so anti-magic at the time. It even mentioned a sickness of some kind. But there was nothing to suggest what you're saying Alasdair'

'Actually there was something…' Lysander spoke up suddenly.

'Something that was very odd…' he seemed to be mulling whatever it was over as he spoke.

'In the diary, Helga Hufflepuff used the words 'black death'. But the black death was a muggle plague that didn't come about until the 14th Century. Not to mention that if it was simply a muggle plague, then surely the founders would have been able to cure it?'

'Some say the black death was a strain of Noirmorter…' Lily muttered, thinking back to what Scorpius had told her.

'Then perhaps the term 'black death' was originally passed on from wizards to muggles to refer to Noirmorter…' Lysander was absentmindedly dropping much of his handfuls of pie into the water as he contemplated the matter.

'In which case, the deaths we read about in the diary might have been caused by a plague of Noirmorter'

'But why would any witch or wizard cast a magical curse on their own kind for trying to receive a magical education?' Lily wondered out loud.

'Alright- I'll give you both some insight seeing as how Binns' classes don't seem as informative as they used to be' Alasdair interjected.

'Back in the Founder's era, wizards and muggles were not so clearly divided as they are today. Wizard communities had only just begun to spring up and most wizards lived amongst muggles. So when muggles began to turn on their magical brothers and sisters and neighbors, well, some witches and wizards thought they were right in doing so. Having grown up with muggles, they thought their alliance should be with muggles- many even thought they  _were_  muggles!'

'In fact, at the time there was little distinction between the muggle arts of science or medicine and sorcery. So under the guise of alchemy, Hermeticism, navigation, astrology and even geometry, wizards worked doing the bidding of muggle kings and queens. Thus it would have been entirely plausible that a muggle ruler could have ordered a curse to be placed upon Hogwarts.'

'But it just all seems so contradictory' Lily said, 'to say that magic is evil but then to try to stamp it out using magic?'

'I don't know if you've noticed Lily, but much of history is defined by what is most convenient to those ruling at the time. Muggles didn't mind wizards when they were working for them- but to go and create a magical school which would allow them to gain power and independence from the muggle community? That was not something they wanted to allow'

'But so what if there was a plague of Noirmorter at Hogwarts which was ordered by a ruling Muggle back then? Muggles would never do that now' Lily pointed out.

'They don't even know about Hogwarts- they'd have no reason to' Lysander agreed.

'That's right. Just like they didn't have a reason to when the second Hogwarts plague of Noirmorter killed me' Alasdair said.

'By that time, Noirmorter, or the 'Black Death', had already been used to kill millions of muggles during the 14th century. So I would say that somewhere along the line wizards started using it to get back at muggles and muggle-borns' Alasdair hypothesised.

'Anyway, all this just goes to show that Noirmorter is one of the rare magical ails that can pass through the Hogwarts protection spells. It was able to penetrate Hogwart's defenses in the Founder's era and it was able to do so when it killed me and a dozen of my classmates'

Alasdair looked both Lily and Lysander meaningfully in the eyes.

'So it might come back again and you ought to try and stop it'

'How are we to do that?' Lysander was much more adept at following along with crazy ideas than Lily and seemed to ask out of genuine curiosity rather than doubt.

'The founders-' replied Alasdair. '-They became animagus and in their animal forms, committed to a blood oath to protect Hogwarts. They created a Hetaeria Sodalitas; a bond between witches and wizards which is so strong that it can repel even the most deadly of curses so long as the bonded are together. Through the Sodalitas, they were able to protect Hogwarts from the plague of Noirmorter. That is, until the oath was broken when Slytherin fled'

'Alasdair…' Lily began doubtfully. 'Are you suggesting that Lysander and me become animagus and make some kind of blood oath?'

'Finally! We are on the same page!' he cheered flashing her a teasing smile.

'Well that's not going to be possible' Lily scoffed.

'Why not? You're the daughter of the most prolific wizard alive. And you're very good at flying around a field with a ball and getting it into small hoops. Have some confidence girl.'

Lily shook her head and not just because he was mocking quidditch.

'Alasdair, there is just no way that I could become able to transfigure myself into an animal. For Merlin's sake, I still can't even transfigure a match into a needle! This isn't about confidence- it's about common sense.'

'You asked me what death was like' Alasdair became very serious again and peered straight into Lily's eyes as though trying to see beyond them to her core.

'Well, there is one thing I do know; the only thing one  _never_  regrets when one loses their life are one's failures. So why not at least give it a try?'

He looked pleadingly at her before his face broke into his usual scheming grin.

'Besides- there is nothing worse to die from than common sense'


	26. Urgent problems

Ever since Alasdair had appeared before her in the empty ballroom, Lily had found him to be sassy and sarcastic among other things, but had never once thought of him as spooky.

Now however the image of him writhing in pain on the Slytherin common room floor and his words about the likelihood that Noirmorter would once again take hold of the castle were haunting her more than his ghostly appearance ever had.

Lysander was much more calm about Alasdair's warning. Lily had long ago realized that nothing ever seemed to truly bother her best friend. He went on cheerfully humming to himself as he roamed the castle between classes. The only notable effect of Alasdair's words upon him could be seen in the books he carried; it was rarer these days to see Lysander with his copies of Ignatia Wildsmith's botanical journals and more common to find him engrossed in books about animagi.

Lily found solace, as she always did, in Quidditch. Following their victory over Slytherin, the Gryffindor team managed to win against Hufflepuff which meant that following the Easter break, they would be up against Ravenclaw for the Quidditch cup and had been training harder than ever.

She was much more eager to go home for Easter than she had been for Christmas, partly because she wanted a chance to make sure her father was doing alright despite the fact that there was no indication that the rate of Noirmorter deaths was slowing down.

Her father was so busy investigating the cause of these deaths that it was decided that the Potter family would spend their Easter together at 12 Grimmauld Place which was much closer to the ministry than their Thiramard home. It was not uncommon for the Potter's to move in there when Harry had a particularly difficult case to deal with; indeed they had spent a lot of time living at Grimmauld Place during the trial of the infamous Josephus Durer.

Lily was less enthusiastic to discover however that her father would be holding a Ministry gathering at their second home. She had never particularly enjoyed these gatherings as they meant that she would have to wear dress-robes (which she had little interest in at that age) and also that she would probably have to make a lot of meaningless small talk.

Victoire on the other hand was delighted to be allowed to join, in no small part because her younger sister Dominique had been told she had to stay at their Shell Cottage home with her parents. Together Rose and Victoire fussed over Lily's hair and choice of outfit, ensuring that she would not turn up to the occasion in her old pinafore dress and sneakers as she had done in the past. In the end, Lily was made to wear one of her mother's old dress robes which was pink, making her red hair look even more fiery than it usually did.

Lily wished that she could have at least invited Lysander and Lorcan to keep her company during the event, but the pair were off with their parents in Estonia attempting to reintroduce a flock of Snidgets into the wild.

Although Lily greatly enjoyed growing up in a lively home in which her many relatives and her parent's friends would pass in and out at all times of the day without warning, having a horde of ministry officials over was a different story. There would be no Hagrid to chat with over a cup of tea and no Professor Longbottom to discuss school life with.

The one silver lining was that due to his new appointment at the Magical Trading Standards Body, Teddy would be attending. Ever since he had graduated from Hogwarts and started at the Ministry, Teddy had been spending less and less time at either the Potter's Thiramard home or his grandmother Andromeda's house and more and more time out on assignment or else living alone at 12 Grimmauld place.

Lily had a feeling that he would be too caught up with her beautiful cousin, who was now dressed in stunning silver dress robes, to pay her much attention however.

Once they had helped James and Albus set up the long banquet table with the intricate cutlery and glasses left over from the Black family, Lily, Rose and Victoire sat around waiting for the guests to arrive in the drawing room. Dressed in deep blue dress robes, Lily reflected that Rose too looked very beautiful with her thick red hair tucked neatly into a bun at the base of her neck. She had a book open on her knee, not allowing herself to skimp on her pre-final exams study even for this small moment. Lily asked Victoire to charm the piano so that it would play classical versions of her favorite new songs and in return Victoire requested that Lily help her practice some traditional wizard ball dances in the hope that she would get the chance to dance with Teddy later in the evening. Lily, who loved to dance, was more than happy to oblige, but she was stopped several times by a worried Rose when she began to inadvertently emit magical showers of golden glitter as she twirled around with Victoire enthusiastically.

When Teddy finally did arrive with a delegation of ministry officials from the Magical Trading Standards Body, he commented on how beautiful the golden glitter looked showered all over Victoire's stunning blonde locks.

'Sort of looks like pixie dust, doesn't it?' Lily commented absentmindedly.

One of the officials to Teddy's right, a stiff looking elderly wizard with thick eyebrows known as Croaker, raised an eyebrow at her.

'And where might you have seen pixie dust, Miss Potter?' He asked sharply.

Teddy quickly jumped in to cover for her.

'I've described it to her before' he laughed, pulling Lily into a side hug. 'Lily here has quite the interest in love potion ingredients'

Lily opened her mouth to protest, her face flushed with embarrassment. She could hear James snickering in the background. But before she could get a word out Croaker spoke up admonishing Teddy.

'Mr Lupin, I should hope that you aren't promoting prohibited substances to underaged wizards'

'Of course not Mr Croaker' Teddy deflected his critical tone with a charming smile. 'You and I both know that the strict regulation of love potions and their most harmful components is no light-hearted matter'

Luckily, at just that moment, Ginny returned home from an interview she had been conducting with the Falmouth Falcons and ushered them into the dinning room. Teddy straggled behind to give Lily a hushed explanation.

'Sorry Lils, but I didn't want you getting in trouble for possessing banned goods on my account'

'Then why did you give me banned goods?' Lily whispered back in a tone that was partly accusatory and partly amused.

'I couldn't very well keep it with me once I'd been assigned to the love potion section of the Trading Standards Body now could I?' He smiled cheekily.

'Figured you'd be the last person anyone would expect to have it. Besides, it's a terribly useful thing to keep on you.' They locked eyes as they walked slowly towards the dining room and Lily wondered what kind of mischief Teddy might have used it for whilst he was at Hogwarts.

'Come in handy yet?' He asked with a jiggle of his eyebrows and a grin.

'Maybe' Lily muttered. She tried to force the corners of her mouth down but they jumped up against her will into a smirk, which was immediately mimicked by Teddy as he took on her appearance. He then rushed off ahead dodging the playful slap on the arm she tried to give him.

The dinning room slowly filled up with guests, all dressed in their finest. They came from several different divisions and departments including the Improper Use of Magic Office, the Auror Headquarters, the International Magical Office of law and even the Muggle-Worthy Excuses Committee. The topic on everybody's lips was Noirmorter.

Lily began to realize that this curse was not just a matter for her father and his team of Aurors, but that the entire Ministry was working towards subduing it and discovering its mysterious source.

As the minutes ticked by and her father was nowhere to be seen, Lily began to worry that something serious had happened to delay him.

Even her incredibly busy aunt Hermione had made it there ahead of him, dressed very smartly in suite-like dress robes the color of violet. As the head of the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures, she had been working tirelessly to identify the number of house elves still working for wizards without reimbursement and rectify the situation. Though Noirmorter was not the top concern for her department, she was quick to point out to the other ministry officials that through their elf-welfare work, they had often received vital information about renegade pureblood families and that they had been on the lookout for any information pertaining to the curse.

The doorbell rang and Ginny rushed off to pull the curtains back over the portrait of the screaming Walburga Black, muttering that she had explicitly noted on the invitations that guests should allow themselves in and that the doorbell should not be rung under any circumstance. Lily ran to the door hoping it would be her father, but instead she found a cheerful looking Hazel Creevy in pretty yellow dress robes accompanied by her father, Dennis Creevy. Mr Creevy was a rather small man with mousy brown hair who looked much younger than his years and always seemed incredibly excited to be attending the Potter household on the odd occasion he came around for a ministry gathering.

'Goodness, what's that ruckus?' Mr Creevy asked, though Lily remembered that this wasn't the first time he had accidentally used the doorbell and set off Walburga. His mouth was opened wide in a beaming smile and he left it hanging open that way as he waited for Lily's answer.

'Just the screaming portrait of Mrs Black' Lily reminded him.

'Ah! Haha!' Mr Creevy laughed inexplicably as though Lily had told a fantastic joke.

'Sorry we're late Lily' Hazel said hesitantly. They hadn't spoke to each other at school for months but Hazel was looking rather apologetic about this fact and Lily, who for her own sake would prefer to go on pretending they were friends in front of her parents, was more than willing to forgive her.

'No problem, do come in' Lily said, giving her a meaningful glance. She hoped that Hazel's reluctance to hang around with her at school wouldn't extend to her behavior in Lily's own home. This appeared to be the case as Hazel stuck by Lily's side, commenting on how beautifully the house was decorated although Lily was inclined to disagree considering most of the decorations were left over from the Black family who's tastes were rather dark and overly extravagant.

Hazel looked eagerly around the dining room once Lily had shown them there, scanning the many faces of their guests. After a moment, she turned to Lily hastily.

'Isn't he here yet?' she asked, her face creased with concern.

'No, I think my father must have been held up…' Lily replied uneasily.

'Not Mr Potter! I mean him, the guest of honor-' Hazel began.

Just at that moment the door to the dinning room opened behind them and in stepped her father accompanied by uncle Ron and somebody else who Lily had not yet met. She was incredibly relieved to see her father unscathed and looking cheerfully at her and his guests.

The room went immediately silent at Harry, Ron and the mysterious man's appearance apart from a few sharp intakes of breath from Hazel.

'I do apologize for being late' Harry said to the crowded room. 'We went to collect Mr Raleigh who, as I'm sure you are aware, has had a long journey from the far north'

Hazel's hand leaped towards Lily's arm, clasping it in a tight grip as Mr Raleigh stepped forward to greet the crowd. He was a very tall man with a strong jaw covered by a neatly trimmed beard and he had straight black hair that hung elegantly around his handsome face. He did not seem much older than Lily's parents but he held himself with the quiet, confident air of someone who had centuries of wisdom.

'Good evening all' Raleigh said in a sombre tone. Though it was apparent he had not grown up in England from the accent in his voice, he spoke English with the same amount of poise and grace with which he held himself.

'I understand that the British wizarding community now finds itself in a similar position to that of the Northern European communities. We all face the same evil; the curse known as Noirmorter. It is my hope that together we can eradicate this curse and work towards the greater good of our magical society'

At the conclusion of this simple yet resplendent speech, several ministry officials swarmed forward to meet Mr Raleigh and discuss his success in eradicating Noirmorter from the Durmstrang Institute.

'He's even more handsome than the chocolate frog card' Hazel cooed.

Lily felt an odd tugging sensation at the bottom of her stomach which had nothing to do with the actual tugging motion that Hazel was making in her attempt to get Lily to follow her closer towards Mr Raleigh.

Albus came up to Lily's other side and said in a hushed tone.

'Merlin… you'd think dad could have warned us that Roger Raleigh was coming. Did you know, all the papers have been calling him the 'new Albus Dumbledore'?'

Her brother looked over at Mr Raleigh in awe as the strange urgent tugging sensation continued in Lily's stomach.

'It needed to be a secret for security reasons' Hazel bent around Lily to whisper to Albus. 'Obviously whoever is cursing people would not be happy that Mr Raleigh has been so successful in preventing the curse from causing further fatalities'

It was a wonder then that Hazel had managed to find out Lily thought sourly. She supposed Mr Creevy must not be as tight lipped about ministry secrets as her father always was.

After a few relaxed greetings with the Ministry officials pushing their way forward to get in a word with him, Mr Raleigh made his way over to the children. This surprised Lily and Albus who wouldn't have thought he would prioritize them over the numerous powerful wizards and witches in the room. Hazel was almost beside herself seeing him move towards them, her fingers digging into Lily's arm.

Harry quickly walked over so that he could make the introductions.

'This is Miss Creevy, whose father Dennis you just met' He began.

Hazel quickly let go of Lily's arm and gave him a curtsy.

'And these are my children Albus and Lily' Harry finished motioning to them.

'Albus' Raleigh looked at him with a gentle smile which Albus nervously returned.

'You must be named after the great Albus Dumbledore. Never was there a wiser and more powerful wizard, and with an excellent sense of humor I hear too.'

Raleigh looked over at Harry with a twinkle in his eye as though to confirm this.

'Mr Raleigh has made various reforms at Durmstrang in order to imitate the kind of environment that Professor Dumbledore created at Hogwarts' Harry explained to Albus.

'He is my greatest inspiration' Raleigh declared proudly before shooting Albus a knowing look.

'Your father tells me you are exceeding at your studies. I'm sure you will become just as great as your namesake'

Albus beamed in pleasure at the compliment.

'This is my sister, Lily' he stammered back, forgetting in his nervousness that Harry had just introduced her.

Raleigh hardly had enough time to turn his head towards her before Lily spoke up loudly and unexpectedly.

'How did you stop Noirmorter from spreading?'

Lily surprised even herself with her own bluntness. It was as though the tugging at the pit of her stomach could not be tamed until she knew the answer. There was an awkwardness in the air, which Lily could tell was in no small part because Hazel was looking at her with horror for the lack of tact she had displayed.

'Well my dear that is a long story which I will need to have with all of these gentlemen from the ministry at another date when we all have the room to discuss it in full' Raleigh smiled diplomatically back at her, chuckling as though he found the urgency in her voice to be an adorable quirk.

'But people are dying from it right now' Lily said pointedly. 'Shouldn't you tell them straight away? Shouldn't you be telling everyone immediately how it can be stopped?'

Lily knew that she was making her brother and father uncomfortable, not to mention the scandalized Hazel, who's mouth had just dropped open. But all she could think about was the pain and fear in Alasdair's eyes which she had witnessed moments before the curse took his life. Knowing that could happen at any time to anyone, how could they all be here chatting away when a person who supposedly could prevent it had just arrived?

'Come now Lily, Mr Raleigh has just come all the way here to help us-' Harry tried to gently placate his daughter.

'It's alright Mr Potter' Raleigh cut him off. 'Your daughter is quite right- this is a matter of great urgency. But you see, urgent problems are seldom fixed with simple or speedy solutions'

He was looking directly into Lily's eyes as he spoke with a kind face. But Lily found herself returning his look with a hard expression of distrust.

'The difficulty, Miss Potter, is that there is no one solution. And the many protection spells and precautionary measures that I implemented cannot be recreated over night. Some of the spells are very complex and will take time and careful planning to conjure'

Teddy, picking up on the uneasiness in the air around the children, Harry and Mr Raleigh, rushed over with a golden platter carrying crystal glasses of pumpkin juice and elderflower wine.

'Drinks anyone?' He offered with bright smile handing them out.

Teddy forced a glass of the juice into Lily's hands in a sign that he sensed that she was the instigator of this uncomfortableness. But no amount of juice could make the tugging in her stomach disappear and though she knew she shouldn't she spoke up again.

'It's just…' Lily spoke more quietly this time, but with just as much determination.

'It's just that… I should hope that…' She glanced furtively around at the faces around her. Harry and Teddy were looking on with concern at what she might say next. Hazel still had her mouth open in outrage. But by far the biggest deterrence for Lily in finishing her sentence was Albus, who's face had gone white with indignation, his jaw clenched.

'…that, well, that nobody else should die in the mean time' Lily finished in a whisper, her brother's expression having sucked all the boldness out of her.

'As do I Miss Potter' Raleigh responded quietly. The smile had gone from his face and he looked at Lily thoughtfully. Lily felt uncomfortable under his gaze. She felt the need to get away from Roger Raleigh and luckily for her a sudden crack in the glass of pumpkin juice she was holding gave her just the excuse she needed.

Hazel stepped back with a squeal at the sound and Teddy lunged forward to stop the liquid from spraying all over their guest of honor with his outstretched hands. Lily glanced fearfully at her father, who did not seem as surprised as she thought he would have been at her inexplicable outburst of magic, before hurriedly excusing herself.

She left the dinning room and got as far as the bottom of the stairs before Albus caught up with her.

'What was all that about?' He demanded, grabbing her by the arm so that she couldn't escape up to her room.

'Nothing' Lily said calmly trying to free herself from Albus's grip, 'I just wanted to know how he planned on doing what nobody in the Ministry has been able to accomplish so far- not even dad'

'You didn't need to ask it like that though did you?' Albus hissed. His tone came as a complete surprise to Lily, who had always been treated with kindness by her closest brother.

'Like what?' Lily asked, her eyes wide at Albus's reaction.

'Like an untamed bloody hippogriff!' Albus yelled finally letting go of her only to throw his hands up in frustration.

Lily froze in shock at her brother's outburst. She couldn't remember a time in which he had raised his voice to her like that.

'Sorry Albus- I didn't mean to-' Lily whispered quickly but Albus just gave her a defeated look and stormed off back into the dinning room without allowing her to finish. She found herself alone in the now silent hallway.

Turning slowly to walk up the stairs and retreat to her room for the rest of the night, Lily reflected on the tugging sensation in her stomach. Why had she been so abrupt with this complete stranger?

In a sudden burst of realization Lily found that she knew why. Why her stomach had felt like that. Why she'd acted like, in Albus's words, an offended hippogriff from the moment Raleigh had arrived.

Lily did not like nor trust Roger Raleigh.


	27. The sleepless night

Lily could only describe it as the worst possible end to an altogether disappointing first year at Hogwarts.

In fact, she was beginning to wish that she could return to the start of the year, back to when her biggest problems were an obnoxious Poppy Balfour and her inability to magically fix pasties back to their original shape.

Now she had to worry about the possibility of a deadly plague descending upon Hogwarts and the imminent danger her father was facing in trying to prevent it.

But what most upset her was the complete change in Albus's attitude towards her. Albus had been the one to check in on her when she had started the year feeling isolated and incompetent. He had told her that things would get better.

But now, due to a silly argument over a wizard neither of them were likely to meet again, Albus had been avoiding her altogether. Their strained relationship was almost immediately apparent to James who could not get them to work together at all during quidditch practice.

Their bad feelings towards each other came to a head at the conclusion to the Gryffindor-Ravenclaw quidditch match. The Ravenclaw chasers were an incredibly talented cohort and each of them had recently bought the latest Nimbus 2017s. Even Lily, who due to her small size, was the fastest of all the Gryffindor chasers was having difficulty in catching up to them. They scored goal after goal, raising their score to 160 points to Gryffindors zero.

Albus looked on with increasing frustration and even yelled at Lily a few times to up her game. But when Lily finally did get her hands on the qauffle and was just about to send it flying through the goals, the game was ended with a loud whistle as Albus had caught the snitch.

Lily was furious. She couldn't believe it. He must have known that she'd had possession of the quaffle (Magnus's slightly obnoxious commentary was hard to ignore) when he had made the dive for the snitch yet he hadn't trusted that she would be able to score. For his part, Albus felt that there was nothing else to be done but spare the team further embarrassment by preventing the Ravenclaws from winning with an even wider margin and blamed Lily for allowing them to have such a high score in the first place.

After the game the pair argued in the common room and Lily's rising temper caused the fireplace to flare, almost singeing an unsuspecting Thomas Hugues.

'Bloody hell Lily' Albus admonished her as he helped Thomas distinguish the potions book he had been peacefully reading by the fire a few moments before.

Lily quickly left the room and made for her bed before her annoyance at her brother caused any more damage to school property.

As the hours went by all the Gryffindor girls came in one by one and fell to sleep but Lily's temper did not reside. The longer she lay alone with her thoughts the more frustrated she became; not only at Albus but also at her own inability to let it go.

Suddenly there was a loud banging noise from across the room. In a moment of confusion, Lily thought she must have inadvertently broken something else with her pent up frustration. But she soon realized that the banging was coming from the other side of the wooden door to their dormitory. Lily quickly threw off her covers and slipped into her slippers. The other girls began to stir from the noise as she swiftly walked over to see who it was that was calling on them at such an hour.

Lily was surprised to see the beautiful face of Victoire in a state of great alarm. She had charmed a candle to float along beside her and it lit up her frightened features in a ghostly manner.

'Lily, get the other girls up. Professor Longbottom says we all need to gather in the Great Hall'

'But why-' Lily started to ask but Victoire was already hurtling up the next flight of stairs to wake up the second years.

'Just hurry!' She yelled over her shoulder.

Lily did as she was told and rushed around the room shaking the other girls awake. Poppy lashed out sleepily, whacking Lily across the shoulder but Lily retaliated by grabbing her extended arm and pulling her from her bed.

Down in the common room, Professor Longbottom was waiting with all of the Gryffindor boys. The Professor was the only calm face in a sea of startled students. Once the last of the girls had come down and the entire Gryffindor population was accounted for, he instructed them to follow him down to the Great Hall.

'Are we evacuating? Should we take our pets with us Sir?' Hazel yelled out, having noticed that Lily was carrying Fides snuggly on her shoulder.

'No, Miss Creevey- and there will be no need to take any of your belongings either'

He looked over at Poppy with a raised eyebrow. She was carrying the wizarding wireless clutched to her chest as though to protect it from some unknown evil.

Before anyone could ask him for anymore of an explanation however, Professor Longbottom had hurried out of the portrait hole and was yelling for Victoire and the prefects to head up the rear and help him make sure nobody got left behind.

As the students followed him along down the many staircases they broke out into a chatter; what was going on? Was the castle being attacked?

In amongst all the confusion, Lily saw Albus making his way towards her.

'I'm sorry I called you a hippogriff' he burst out anxiously.

'What's going on? Are we going to die?' Albus's awkward apology had left Lily more worried than ever.

'I don't know- this has never happened before'

Albus's concern was obvious. Once they had reached end of the last staircase, he grabbed hold of the sleeve of Lily's pajamas to ensure that the two wouldn't be torn apart by the stream of Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Slytherin and Hufflepuff students that were rushing to get into the great hall.

Headmistress McGonagall was standing in the centre of the Hall which was emptied of all tables and chairs and thus looked far larger than Lily had ever seen it. She had placed a voice magnifying charm upon herself so that her instructions could be heard booming around the large hall.

'In rows thank you! Right away! Gryffindors where the Gryffindor table would usually be and Hufflepuffs where the Hufflepuff table would be and so on!'

Albus and Lily made their way over to where they would usually sit for breakfast. The candles, which on a normal evening floated high above the tables, were now floating at eye level in four long rows across the hall. It was an eerie sight to behold as each student took their place beside a single candle.

'First years to the front! Then Second years next and so on in consecutive order! That means Seventh years to the back!'

Albus gave Lily one last look of apprehension as she left him to go and stand at the front of the line with the other first years. Lily was relieved to spot a sleepy looking James slowly shuffle in through the hall doors and slide into the end of the line.

The hall went silent once all the students had lined up and the sound of their footsteps died out. Even the noisy chatter came to an end as they all listened in to hear an explanation for this sudden exodus from the Headmistress.

'I shall explain the reason I have asked you all to gather here shortly' Professor McGonnagal's voice boomed and echoed around the large hall.

'But first, I need you all to stay extremely quite and still as the heads of house examine you'

The entire student body promptly ignored her instructions and the hall was engulfed in a wave of startled whispers.

'Quiet!' The headmistress yelled to great effect.

'This is a matter of extreme importance!'

Her commanding voice broke as she spoke, the undertone of distress painfully apparent to everyone.

From there on out nobody spoke a word. All that could be heard were the footsteps of the four heads of house as they each made their way down their respective line of students, starting with the first years. Lily could see from where she stood that Professor Longbottom carried with him a basket full of potions. It was difficult to get a good look at what he was doing because all of Lily's peers ahead of her in the line were leaning forward, trying to get a good look too.

But as he slowly got closer Lily could see that he was looking each student very carefully in the face before handing them a small vile of bright green potion.

Lily looked over to the other houses and, from what she could make out, it appeared that the other Heads of House were doing just the same.

When it was finally her turn, the Professor stood in front of her and stared at her with an expression of extreme concentration. Lily found his gaze so strong that she could not keep eye contact and her eyes dropped unwittingly to the ground.

'Look at me Lily' Professor Longbottom instructed her firmly. He looked into her eyes for a few more tense moments before giving her a small solemn smile, dropping a vile into her outstretched palms and moving onto the next student.

It took an excruciatingly long time before the heads had finished inspecting their pupils. After they had done so, each one swiftly walked over to the Headmistress and whispered their findings in her ear.

Professor McGonagall then spoke up again.

'I am terribly sorry to say that I have some dreadful news to break to you all. Tonight -just a few hours ago- one of our dear and most respected members of staff, Professor Guibourg was found deceased in his office.'

The students looked around at each other in alarm, but Professor McGonagall carried on in a steady voice.

'The cause of death has not yet been confirmed by a registered healer-'

Lily saw Professor Montespan shift uncomfortably from one foot to another.

'-However it would appear that the likely cause is Noirmorter'

Lily's stomach dropped as the entire school broke out into a noisy chatter. Noirmorter. So Alasdair had been right; it would return to Hogwarts.

She felt suddenly nauseous. Professor McGonagall's calls for calm fell largely on deaf ears as the shocked students continued to talk over her.

McGonagall told them that no other students had shown signs of having contracted the curse. That they should keep an eye out for one another and let a professor know immediately if any symptoms- such as changes in the eyes- could be seen in their peers. She instructed them to hold onto the vials of Wiggenweld they had been given at all times, including in bed.

Lily held hers in her palm and studied it as she lay in her bed that night. She felt numb; everything about the night felt surreal.

Earlier, she had been scolding herself for being unable to lull herself into a slumber. But now it felt odd to even attempt to try to sleep and from the sound of shifting blankets she could tell that she wasn't alone in her wakefulness.

Exam week had never been the most cheery time of the year, but with the death of Professor Guibourg hanging over the school, the air felt more stuffy and the atmosphere more sullen than ever.

Lily found it incredibly difficult to muster up the enthusiasm to study for her subjects as the week drew on. She found she could muddle her way through the theory exams, but each time there was a practical her confidence took a painful hit. In Charms she succeeded only in making the desks wobble as she set off a tiny earthquake in her frustration at her stubbornly useless wand. In Transfiguration, she tried to convince Professor Montespan that the mushy texture she had inexplicably turned her biscuit tin into was, in a way, sort of like a rabbit in that it was warm and squishy. The Defense Against the Dark Arts practical left her relatively unscathed, as she managed to at least physically dodge all the spells that came her way, even if her disarming spells had no effect.

Alasdair's proclamation that she had received the worst results he'd seen in a century, did nothing for her mood.

Since the death of the professor, Alasdair had been pressuring her and Lysander for weeks about his idea of them attempting to become animagi, but Lily pointed out sourly that she would need to first figure out what on earth was wrong with her as a witch before she went about trying to become an animal.

It was under these strained circumstances that Lily resolved to do what she had been hesitating over for some time. Before they parted ways at Kingscross, she made a pact with Lysander to visit Knockturn Alley during the summer.

Lily needed more answers from Scorpius Malfoy and his obscure dark books.


	28. Borgin and Maudit's

It was a beautiful sunny summer day and Harry Potter was feeling incredibly happy as he strolled down the main street of Diagon Alley. Yes, he was worried about the reported occurrence of Noirmorter at Hogwarts. The unknown threat constantly weighed on his mind. But being unknown as it was, there was little he could do and today was his first day off in a very long time.

He had been terribly chuffed when his daughter had asked him to take her and her best friend out on a shopping trip, even if it had come about as a condition in his negotiations to get her to show him her end of year exam results.

Lily and Lysander walked along by his side with large chocolate and raspberry ice creams that Harry had gotten them from Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour. Since the Parlour had been reopened some years ago by Florean's cousin, Aelia Fortescue, Harry had been a frequent customer. He could never convince Aelia to let him pay for his ice creams however as she always insisted that she already owed him greatly for defeating Lord Voldemort, the murderer of her cousin.

Lysander looked just as happy as Harry, his curly hair swaying from side to side as he quietly devoured his ice cream, leaving a great deal of it on his lips and cheeks. Lily, on the other hand, ate hers very slowly, frowning with concentration. She needed to figure out how they would get away from her father.

It was one thing to convince him to take her and Lysander to Diagon Alley, it was another to distract him long enough that she and Lysander could sneak off without their absence being noticed. Their whole trip would be for nothing if she couldn't get away long enough to find the book Scorpius had mentioned was in his father's shop.

But just as she was beginning to worry that the main achievement of their day out would be Lysander's sugar hit, Lily noticed a very fashionably dressed man walk by. He was wearing a smart pair of 'People-Pleasing Robes', which Lily had overheard Hazel saying were all the fashion these days. The robes would change in color and style depending on who the wizard was addressing at the time. For example, if the addressee was a fan of yellow and feathers, then the robes would adjust accordingly.

When the man had made eye-contact with Lily his robes had turned a deep blue and his tie into a silver cravat. Lily suddenly stopped and made her father do so too with a tug on his sleeve.

'Dad- you should get some of those robes' Lily said urgently.

'What? Why?' Harry looked at his daughter's serious face with amusement.

'Because they'd really suit you! It would be fabulous!'

Luckily for Lily, she really did think her father could pull them off quite well and thus was able to voice this sentiment in earnest.

She tugged on his arm, ushering him in the direction of Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions.

'Just try them on! It will be fun'

Lysander followed along diligently, still quietly making his way through his ice cream.

Moments later Harry was standing on a stool with Madam Malkin's tape measure wizzing around him taking his measurements. Lily rattled off a list of instructions to keep the tape measure busy. She firmly told it that it would need to make sure to leave some room in the waist for when her father attended Ministry banquets and to use a particularly strong fabric because tears and rips were commonplace in his line of work.

'Those are very grand robes Sir' Lysander cooed as the adjustments were being made. The robes had turned into a very bright sparkly orange and had grown a purple furry collar when Harry had turned to look at him.

'That reminds me-' Lily said nodding her head at the furry collar.

'Lysander and I wanted to go look at the purple Palau Owl's at Eeylops Owl Emporium. We'll be right back!'

Lily had grabbed Lysander by the hand and was halfway out the door before Harry could even splutter an 'alright'.

The door closed with a tinkle behind them and Lily looked around at the many witches and wizards walking past.

'Can't believe I just met Harry Potter!' she said as though talking to Lysander, albeit in an unnaturally loud voice. Quite a few people slowed their pace and some even stopped altogether and turned to look at her.

'Fancy that!' she continued on as Lysander looked back at her confused. 'Harry Potter! Trying on some new robes!'

'I thought you said he was your da-' Lysander began to say with his head cocked to the side before she quickly cut him off.

'What a great man- to give out signatures to anyone who might happen to ask!' Lily said loudly over him.

At that several witches and wizards rushed forward, trying but failing to look casual about their sudden interest in Madam Malkin's fine robes.

* * *

Lily kept a tight hold of Lysander's hand as she led him down the cobbled path that lead to Knockturn Alley. Truth be told, she was a little nervous. She'd never been down here before (her mother and father had forbidden it) and she had only ever heard bad things about the place.

It was common knowledge that only the very darkest of wizards and witches ever came down this end of the wizarding shopping district and she was hoping that she wouldn't run into any of them.

Borgin and Maudit's was a dimly lit and rather rundown shop. The green paint that covered it was beginning to peel and it was in need of a good dusting. The shop's most distinguishing feature was the lettering used for the name 'Maudit' over the top of the doorframe. These letters were made of a shinny silver and their pristine state was in great contrast to the battered old letters used for 'Borgin and'.

Lily put her hand on the rusty old door handle and exhaled slowly, trying to gather up her courage. But before she had settled the butterflies in her stomach, Lysander very calmly pushed the door open and walked in ahead of her. She quickly set aside her reservations and followed him in.

The shop was absolutely bursting with all manner of objects piled upon more strange objects. There appeared to be no rhyme or reason to how most of it was laid out and one could be forgiven for wondering if the owners would even notice if something were to go amiss, so cluttered was the interior.

Though it was full to the brim with things, to Lily's relief, the shop appeared to be completely empty of inhabitants. Even the counter was unmanned. None of this bothered Lysander who flitted about picking up objects here and there to examine them as though he were a boy in a lolly shop.

Lily was more cautious. She walked around the cramped shop slowly and quietly, trying to find a bookcase. She had to walk all the way past a line of leering masks on the wall to the back of the shop before she saw a glimpse of one.

In the very far left corner was a small library of books. Their covers were dusty and tattered- just like many of the ones she had seen Scorpius reading during their study sessions behind the restricted section. This had to be the place where the book Scorpius had mentioned would be.

She hesitated, unsure of where to start. She didn't even know the title nor the author's name of this book. She decided to start at the bottom and work her way up. Crouching down, she pulled out a dusty book from the bottom shelf and made to open it up when she heard a familiar soft voice.

'That's not it'

Lily dropped the book and wobbled awkwardly out of her squat, toppling to the floor. From her position now sitting on the ground she looked upwards in the direction the voice had come from.

Scorpius Malfoy was sitting atop a ladder wearing a brown shopkeepers apron with a book open on his lap. He looked down at her with his usual blank expression, except that the slight lift in the corners of his mouth suggested that he was somewhat amused to see her there.

'I'll get it for you. Just a moment'

He climbed down and picked up the ladder, moving it over to the edge of the bookcase. He swiftly climbed back up again and reached over to the very top shelf to produce an old book with a navy blue cover. Lily reflected that it was a good thing he had been there as she would never have been able reach up that far, nor was she sufficiently adept at performing the accio charm.

Lily moved over to the bottom of his ladder and he leaned down to hand the book to her before making his decent again.

With the book now in her hands, Lily could see that it was quite different to the other books she had seen Scorpius with thus far. Though it was undoubtedly old and tattered, the pretty gold lettering that read 'Silverstone's encyclopedia of speculated curses and conditions' and the colorful pictures within it made it seem more like a children's book.

Lily flicked through the pages looking over the lush illustrations of various bizarre magical ailments such as a condition in which one could only use magic at night, a curse which caused the accursed to scream in their sleep and an ailment which lead to permanent invisibility.

There was even one particularly horrifying malady which, after causing the sufferer to die, would then be transferred on to the closest person in the vicinity of their deathbed.

Scorpius watched her look through the book for a while before making his way over to her. He came to a stop in front of the open book in her arms and began to turn the pages over, searching for the one on Compassiomeidis. Lily noticed vaguely that he had very nice hands with long slender fingers.

Scorpius stopped turning the pages abruptly and looked up over Lily's shoulder.

'Hello?' he said quizzically.

Lily turned quickly around to see Lysander's eyes looking at them through the gap in some shelves. He shuffled out from behind the shelves and nodded to Scorpius, his cheeks still covered in ice cream.

'Hello' he replied airily.

'This is my friend Lysander' Lily explained.

'I know… we have quite a few classes together; Potions, Astronomy, Herbology' Scorpius said, giving Lysander a congenial nod whilst squinting to see what the streaks of brown and red on his face were.

But of course. They were in the same year so they must have met before. Lily had never seen them both in the same place, so the thought had never occurred to her.

'Lubotubilly…' said Lysander quietly and calmly. 'I have a problem'

He took his arm out from behind the shelf where he had been hiding it moments before. His hand was covered in an animated thick black liquid that seemed to be moving upwards at an alarming pace, devouring his wrist and then his elbow.

'Merlin! What on earth is that?' Lily yelled, stricken at the thought that whatever it was might completely envelop her friend.

'You've put your hand in the Atramentous glove' Scorpius said in a level tone.

Lysander nodded very quickly, looking rather guilty about having been caught playing with the merchandise.

'It's alright' Scorpius said calmly, 'You just need to think dark thoughts and it will stop. It feeds off positivity and goodwill'

Lysander screwed his face up in concentration but the black tar-like substance continued to climb up and up all the way to his shoulder.

'I don't even think he's capable of thinking dark thoughts' Lily appealed to Scorpius in alarm. 'Isn't there another way?'

'No' Scorpius shook his head and hurried over to Lysander. He put a hand on his other shoulder and looking him in the eyes, said;

'What about all those things that people used to say about your brother in first year? Think about that'

Lysander's eyes widened and for the first time ever Lily saw a strain of anger flash across his face. The black substance's progression across his torso came to a halt.

'What was it that Yaxley said?' Scorpius went on, 'ah, that's right- that he thought all squibs should be killed at birth, to ensure that their inferior blood could not continue to taint pureblood wizard lines-'

Lysander's brows furrowed and he looked at Scorpius with a mixture of resentment and sadness. A great dollop of the black substance fell from his chest and onto the floor.

'-and Carrow, he boasted about how his father had murdered a squib, didn't he? How it had been so easy, like killing an infant-'

Several more great globs of the Atramenous glove fell off of Lysander and splattered onto the ground.

'-even Voisin Duff, and he's meant to be a Prefect for Merlin's sake, said you ought not to be at Hogwarts. Said there was no way that someone with the  _very same_  blood as a squib could possibly be a wizard'

The last of the black substance came raining down and formed a puddle on the floor beside Lysander's feet. Lily watched in awe as droplets of it which had splattered further away slid towards the puddle, gathering into one large pool and finally turning back into a gleaming black leather glove.

Scorpius bent down and swooped up the glove with one hand, holding it by one of the fingers. He hurried off to put it back on the shelf where Lysander had taken it from, giving Lysander a quick pat on the should as he went.

Lysander very stood still and closed his eyes in concentration as though trying to suppress the emotions that had bubbled to the surface. The anger slowly dissipated from his face and his usual dreamy expression began to return.

'Did people really say all those nasty things about Lorcan?' Lily whispered in outrage.

Lysander just nodded, still looking a little shellshocked from the battle with the glove.

'I guess people don't like it when somebody comes along who is living proof that their ideals are wrong' Scorpius had returned and was looking at Lily thoughtfully.

'What do you mean?' Lily asked.

'You'd be well aware of the idea of 'blood purity', I should imagine' Scorpius said looking her over.

'Of course' Lily said uncomfortably. She also knew that the Malfoys, having been Voldemort supporters, were undoubtably believers in the very idea he was referring to.

'What about 'blood  _curses_ '?' Scorpius asked, though Lily saw what appeared to be a flash of hesitation in his eyes.

'Those are curses which are passed from parent to child, aren't they?' she asked uncertainly.

'Not always. It can skip a generation or two. But yes, it refers to curses which are hereditary. You see, when witches and wizards talk about 'blood curses' and 'blood purity' what they are really talking about is the DNA from the white blood cells.'

Lily looked over at Lysander to see if she was following along with the conversation better than she was. It was hard to tell because his face had gone totally blank.

'Blood is used in a lot of magic; in potions and oaths and protection spells. Which is why, I suppose, many witches and wizards have tended to believe that magical ability comes from blood, or the DNA within the blood. But Scamander here and his brother are proof that it probably doesn't.'

The thought had never occurred to Lily. It was true that despite their difference in magical ability, Lysander and Lorcan were a complete physical match for one another. And now that Lily thought about it, it seemed obvious that as identical twins they must have the same blood.

'Where does it come from then?' Lily asked Scorpius with a frown.

'Well if I knew  _that_  my family wouldn't be running a dusty old shop. I'd probably have my own chocolate frog card, maybe even a biography' Scorpius said wryly.

'You don't believe in blood purity?' Lysander said abruptly. Lily had not been game enough to ask, but she could always rely on Lysander to ask the uncomfortable questions with the same ease as someone making small talk. There was an awkward paused before Scorpius diverted his eyes away and said;

'I don't believe it makes any sense to treat people differently based on what runs through their veins, no'

He seemed to scoff at the very notion. But Lily found it curious that he appeared to have researched it all so thoroughly.

'Have you been reading muggle books?' Lysander said, again conveniently asking what Lily wanted to know in place of her.

'There's not a lot about DNA in wizard books' Scorpius muttered admittingly.

'That explains those medical textbooks hidden under the pile of human bones' Lysander said thoughtfully.

Lily was impressed at how thoroughly he had looked through the messy shop in such a short span of time.

'People don't tend to pick up the bones' Scorpius smirked at Lysander's lack of average human tendencies.

Suddenly the rusty front door screeched open, making all three children jump.

'Don't mention the muggle books' Scorpius instructed them in a hushed tone, hurrying off to greet whoever it was.

Lily and Lysander looked at each other apprehensively. They had hoped they wouldn't run into any of the shop's usual client base.

They could hear Scorpius talking to a man with a drawling voice.

'Borgin won't be coming in tomorrow either- says his back still hurts. The silly sod was yelling up a storm at the St Mungo's healers when I got there'

Lysander and Lily quietly approached the front of the store to try to get a peak at who it was. Peering through a gap in one of the shelves, Lily saw Scorpius dutifully take the hat and bag of a tall man dressed entirely in black and place them on the counter.

His clothes were very fine but terribly warn out. It was as though he had just bought one very expensive pair of robes at some point in the past and continued to wear them over and over ignoring the tears in the sleeves and stains on the hem.

Edging closer, Lily caught sight of the back of his head. He had long ice-blonde hair which had been neatly collected into a precisely placed pony-tail.

'So I should come in tomorrow too?' Scorpius asked uneasily.

'No, it's alright' the man sighed, 'I can manage. Stay home with your mother'

Lily saw Scorpius's shoulders relax in relief.

'Thank you father' he said, earnest in his gratitude.

So this was Draco Malfoy, Lily realized. Her father seldom mentioned him but she knew from Uncle Ron's occasional mutterings on the subject that he had attended Hogwarts with her father and had been one of the death eaters responsible for helping Voldemort to take over the school during the war.

There was a clatter of metal upon hard floor as Lysander accidentally knocked a strange looking telescope-like object off the shelf next to him.

'We've got customers?' Draco asked surprised, turning around to face the shelf they were hidden behind.

Lily could now see that his face somewhat resembled Scorpius's. He had the same pale complexion and pointed features, albeit a much weaker jawline and pale grey eyes which contrasted greatly with the warm yellowy hazel color of Scorpius's.

'Just some kids from school' Scorpius said quickly.

Lily and Lysander slowly and reluctantly moved out from behind the shelf into the stern gaze of Draco Malfoy. Draco's eyes narrowed as he looked them over.

'Good evening' Lysander said pleasantly.

Draco didn't reply. He was looking into Lily's face with a frown, trying to catch her eye. But Lily avoided his gaze, letting her eyes rest squarely on the floor in front of her.

'They wanted to exchange this healing potion for one of the old books' Scorpius said, holding up a vial of deep red liquid that Lily had never seen before in her life.

'What is it?' Draco asked skeptically, taking the vial from his son and examining it. Lily was glad to have his attention diverted from her.

'Double strength Blood-Replenishing Potion' Scorpius replied.

'Not terribly rare then' Draco scoffed.

'Not readily available without a healers license though' Scorpius pointed out lightly.

'Hmm' Draco turned the vial over, holding it up to the dim light to get a better look.

'And the book you want- what is it?' He shot the question at Lily very suddenly, causing her to splutter out her reply nervously.

'Th-this one Sir- about curses and such thi-things'

She held the book out so that he could see the cover.

'Take it you've finished reading that one then?' Draco turned to look at Scorpius, a hint of mockery in his voice.

Scorpius nodded.

'I don't know' Draco said slowly. 'Last time I sold an object to some Hogwarts students, one turned out to be Harry Potter's son. Never heard the end of it'

Lily almost dropped the book in shock at the mention of her father's name. Her stomach felt like it might burst from the tension and she felt the weight of his gaze upon her ten times fold.

'You don't need to worry about that this time' Scorpius reasoned with him. 'I know them. And I know Mr Aethelwulf wouldn't mind if his daughter had this book'

Lily looked at Scorpius in surprise. He was incredibly talented at deceiving without actually technically lying. Why he was using this talent for her benefit however, she didn't know.

'Alright then' Draco said, pocketing the vial. 'But you're not to tell anyone where you got it, you hear me?' He looked at them very sternly.

Lily nodded very quickly without meeting his eyes. She grabbed Lysander by the arm and with the book in her other hand hurried off in the direction of the exit.

Scorpius went ahead of them to the door and opened it for them.

'Thank you' Lily said quietly as she reached within earshot of him. Scorpius just nodded and motioned for them to leave, but as Lily passed him on her way out she heard him say under his breath;

'It's on page seventy-six'


	29. The three gifts

This summer holiday was turning out to be one of the warmest of recent years and all of the young Weasley and Potter children were outdoors playing quidditch in the field nearby the Potter household, making the most of the long summer evening.

All of them, that was, except Lily.

She could hear them shouting and laughing from the inside of her bedroom where she lay alone on her patchwork quilt covered bed. She had Silverstone's encyclopedia of speculated curses and conditions open on her pillow at page seventy-six and was reading it over for the thirteenth time, transfixed.

The page read;

_Compassiomedis_

_Compassiomedis is an unconfirmed condition in which a witch or wizard is either unable to perform or is inadequate at performing magic with the frontal Lobe, relying instead on emotional reflexes from the Amygdal._

_In other words, those who have Compassiomedis perform magic via an instinctive, emotional process rather than a voluntary, cognitive one._

_Any witch or wizard may of course, on the odd occasion, produce magic as an emotional reflex, but those with Compassiomedis do so with a much higher frequency._

_Much has been speculated about the condition, including that such witches and wizards, though often sub-par at wand waving, may be particularly adept at other forms of more instinctive magic such as legilimency, self-transfiguration and brewing potions._

_Magic performed through Commassiomeidis is also thought to have a particularly strong effect on plant and animal life. This is theorised to be because plants and animals are more sensitive to emotions than non-living inanimate objects._

_The classification, diagnosis and treatment of Compassiomeidis is widely disputed, with many critics believing it to be a non-existent superstition created by squibs who wished to deny or excuse their inability to produce magic._

_The only known wizard to have been diagnosed with Compassiomeidis by a licensed healer is Aldrich Clavell who was ostracised by the wizarding village he lived in, in Leicestershire. Clavell is said to have left the magical world to live with muggles and apart from the occasional incidence wherein he would cause fields of flowers to spring up from no-where, he was able to keep his magical status a secret from the muggle community, including his wife and children, right up until he died in July, 1979._

On the opposite page there was an illustration of an elderly, blond-haired, Kindly looking Aldrich Clavell walking around a field of blooming flowers in a tweed suit.

Lily thought back to her past year at Hogwarts and everything seemed to fit conveniently into place with this description like some kind of awfully unpleasant jigsaw puzzle.

There were dozens of instances in which Lily could easily see how her emotional state might have caused her to use magic uncontrollably.

There was the fateful Hogwarts Express food splattering incident when Poppy had made her so angry that she had raised her wand at her. Then there was the melting accident with the sorting stool when she had been incredibly nervous, even frightened, of making the wrong choice about which house to be in.

The explosion in the Slytherin common room had happened just as she had lost her temper at the awful things Carrow was saying about her family. When she had felt a deep despair at having lost the confidence of both James and Albus, Lily had sent an entire bookcase of books flying onto the floor. Even that time when Pucey had rough handled her before quidditch practice had made her so annoyed that she'd caused the grass around her to wilt.

Not to mention the crack in the glass of pumpkin juice that had occurred when she had felt intense pressure under the gaze of Roger Raleigh.

There certainly was cause for Scorpius to theorize that this description of Compassiomedis fit with her predicament, she reflected. But she couldn't help but feel a little disappointed. She had hoped that this book might give her some clue, some kind of answer to how she might fix herself. Instead, all it gave her was a description of a man who'd been forced out of the magical world to spend his life traipsing around fields of flowers.

She was just considering trying to figure out a plan to get back to Borgin and Maudit's to see if there weren't any more books which might hint at some cure to this condition when a pair of yellow eyes popped up from outside the window to her room.

It was Weebles, perched on the outer windowsill pecking at the glass with what appeared to be a small parcel tied to his foot.

Those yellow eyes. Lily chastised herself internally for thinking instantly of Scorpius when she had seen them.

She opened her window and Weebles hopped in on his free leg, sticking the other package burdened one out in front of himself as though to demand she take it off him immediately. Lily did so swiftly and gave him a pat on the head before he flew off again.

The package was from Lysander. Lily opened the note attached to it first.

_Dear Lubotubilly,_

_Happy Birthday!_

_I imagine you must be quite pleased to be twelve, as it's the same amount as the number of uses of dragon's blood that Professor Albus Dumbledore discovered!_

_I'm having a marvelous time in Fiji. We came across a nest of firecrabs and one of them shot fire right at Lorcan burning a little bit of his shoe. He's always been the lucky one._

_P.S. How's your dad liking his new robes?_

Lily was quite impressed that he had managed to somehow figure out it was her birthday. She didn't remember ever mentioning it to him. Lysander was funny in that he seemed completely oblivious to the regular goings on of the world around him about ninety percent of the time and yet he could be incredibly intuitive about things such as this.

Lily opened the package to find a bracelet of discarded firecrab jewels that Lysander had seemingly strung together himself. The jewels were all different sizes and colours making it a fairly unconventional fashion item, but Lily loved it all the same.

Downstairs, her father had been enthusiastically working away all evening to make her a delicious birthday feast. It was a good thing that they had invited Lily's grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins over to help them eat it all.

He had really outdone himself this year, creating a stunning three tiered chocolate cake, which he knew was Lily's favourite. It was no secret that one of Harry's greatest joys was celebrating his three children's birthdays as he himself had never enjoyed his birthdays as a child growing up in the Dursley household.

He had gotten over the shock of being descended upon by a dozen witches and wizards all wanting his autograph at Madame Malkin's just enough to be able to go out and get all the ingredients from the wizarding village down in the valley.

The evening after their shopping trip to Diagon Alley, Harry had come home exclaiming to Ginny that Madame Malkin herself must have tipped people off that he was there and what a ruckus it had caused in the shop. The idea that his daughter might have done such a thing was so far from his mind that it made Lily feel rather guilty for having broken his trust.

But not enough, of course, to confess what had happened.

Besides, her mother had been very happy with how handsome Harry looked in the robes he had bought and that seemed to lighten Harry's mood considerably. When he had turned to face his wife, they had turned a very smart, dark green that brought out his eyes and which she found very pleasing indeed.

That evening, after they had all stuffed themselves with Harry's delicious feast and the extra dishes that Grandma Molly had brought over, Teddy indulged the birthday girl with one of her favourite games.

They had been playing it since they were small children, often at these kinds of family gatherings. It was quite a simple game in which Teddy would use his Metamorphmagus powers to turn his face into those of a variety of famous witches and wizards and the person who could guess the most was named the winner.

Teddy would make his face change slowly, so that it would be harder to guess even if the person had a well-known face.

That evening as they all sat around the drawing room watching him, the color of his skin darkened and his hair grew slowly out around his head into a very stylish afro. His cheekbones had started to rise higher into the face of a beautiful witch when Grandma Molly suddenly yelled out;

'Celestina Warbeck!'

'Ding-dong!' Teddy yelled back signaling she had hit the nail on the head, his face suddenly back to normal.

'Too old Teddy!' James complained with folded arms causing their grandmother to shoot him an outraged look.

But Teddy's face had already begun to shrink into the small, closely shaven head of a strong looking man with dark eyes and sallow skin.

'Viktor Krum' Aunt Hermione said suddenly, which for some reason caused uncle Ron to scowl.

'What? Anyone could see that it's him' Hermione muttered under her breath to her husband.

'Victor Krum indeed!' Teddy yelled before his hair shot out into beautiful wavy blonde locks and his eyelids grew larger.

'Aunty Luna!' Lily yelled immediately, delighted to see her hero.

'Too obvious Teddy, she was only here the other week' Albus griped as Teddy gave Lily the thumbs up of approval.

Teddy turned to Albus, looking him right in the eye as his blonde hair shrunk to elbow-length and turned a deep black.

'Ah…' Harry said quietly. He often refrained from guessing as he knew so many different famous witches and wizards that his unfair advantage could ruin the game.

Hermione and Ron looked at each other and then back at the children around them, seeming to decide to leave this one up to someone else.

Teddy's nose then grew longer, into a hooked shape and his eyes became darker than ever.

They were his eyes, Lily realized with a jolt. And their piercing look made her stand up off her chair in surprise.

'The half-blood prince' she gasped.

Harry looked over at her in alarm.

Lily had almost forgotten about the prince; about her first true friend at Hogwarts who she had somehow lost amongst the maze of corridors and rooms in the castle.

'The what?' Teddy, with the face of the prince, said back at her with a frown.

'How do you know that name?' Harry shot at Lily, startled.

But before Lily could answer, Albus also stood up suddenly.

'Severus Snape! It's Professor Severus Snape, isn't it Teddy?'

Teddy, still wearing the face of the prince, nodded.

'No it's not!' Lily insisted, entirely confused. 'It's the half-blood prince- I know, I met him at Hogwarts-'

'You what?' Harry sprung up off his chair and came over to where his daughter was standing.

'I- I met him' Lily pointed to Teddy. 'well, I met a portrait of him and he was called the half-blood prince'

'You're mistaken Lily. That's Professor Snape. Which means I get the point-'

Albus had begun to argue when Harry cut him off.

'Severus Snape _is_  the half-blood prince. It was a name he gave himself whilst at Hogwarts'

'Oh' Teddy said lightly, his face now back to normal. 'Points all round then?'

'Where did you come across his portrait Lily?' Aunt Hermione cut in with some concern. 'Was it in the Headmistress's office?'

'No, it was… well I'm not really sure. I thought it was near a tapestry of some trolls dancing but then suddenly it wasn't…' Lily's words tumbled clumsily out of her mouth.

'The room of requirement' Ron said, before being elbowed in the side by his wife.

'We agreed not to tell them about that remember?' Hermione hissed under her breath at him.

'Yeah but  _someone's_  obviously already found it' Ron shot back exasperated.

'What did you require from Severus Snape?' Harry pondered out loud, looking at his daughter with a furrowed brow.

Lily shook her head quickly to signal she hadn't the faintest idea. But she did.

She supposed what she had really needed, at the time, had been a friend.

Why that friend had to be Professor Severus Snape, her brother's other namesake, she had no idea. The whole thing was entirely confusing to her; she'd not heard that Professor Snape had had such a nickname whilst at Hogwarts, only that he had been one of her father's most detested people until he had learnt that he was working towards the downfall of the dark lord as a double agent all along and that he had died trying to save them all.

'So I guess that makes Lily the winner then?' Teddy said genially cutting across the tension in the air.

'James, Albus, Lily' Harry called to them as he walked quickly out the door, 'Could you come to my study please?'

The three Potter children shot each other a look to see if any of each other might know what this was about before hurrying after their father.

When they reached his study, their father was hurriedly opening the draws of his desk looking for something. They all waited in nervous silence for him to address them.

Finally, Harry came across what he was looking for. It was a piece of old folded parchment.

He held it out to Lily.

'I want you to have this' he said, looking her gravely in the eyes.

Lily took it in her hands and examined it. It was an exceptionally battered old piece of parchment with nothing on it. She looked back at her father wondering if he had gone mad or if this was some kind of physiological test.

Harry responded by pulling out his wand and placing the tip of it on the parchment in her hands.

'I solemnly swear that I am up to no good' he said with a hard face.

Suddenly the parchment unfolded in Lily's hands and she watched as ink seeped up from out of nowhere, revealing an expansive map. She realized immediately from all her evening explorations that it was a map of the entire Hogwarts castle and it's surrounding grounds.

Not only was there a great amount of detail, but the map also showed the footprints of Hogwarts inhabitants moving across it. Each footprint was labeled with a name and she watched in awe as the footprints of Professor Montespan walked down one of the corridors alone.

'This is a map your grandfather, Sirius Black, Remus Lupin and Peter Pettigrew made whilst at Hogwarts. They called themselves the 'Marauders' and they used this to create a considerable amount of mischief whilst at school.'

Harry's hard face began to softened out of a nostalgic adoration for his father, godfather and favorite Professor.

'They also used to pick on Professor Snape- probably because he was always hanging around your grandmother' Harry finished with a small smirk.

'The half-blood prince was friends with my grandmother? With Lily Evans?' Lily asked. She thought back on her conversation with Snape. She had never imagined that the one true friend he had been referring to might be her grandmother.

Harry nodded.

'He was in love with her?'

Lily didn't know how she knew. Perhaps it was something about the way his eyes had gleamed when he had at first mistaken her for her grandmother.

Harry nodded again. Albus and James looked from Harry to Lily and back again, both completely confused.

Harry hurriedly pulled out another item from behind his desk. It was an old cloak made of a shimmering fabric.

'And this is for you Albus'

Harry handed the cloak to his son.

Albus looked skeptically at the tattered edges of the cloak until realization dawned on his face.

'Is this what I think it is?' He gaped at his father, hardly daring to believe that Harry would entrust him with something so precious.

'The Cloak of Invisibility' Harry confirmed.

'Use it well' he cautioned Albus with a stern look.

James looked on with more than just a hint of jealously tainting his features.

'And James' Harry turned to his eldest child.

James looked apprehensively back at him. Harry held up his wand.

The three siblings jolted with surprise, thinking for a moment that Harry was about to cast a spell on James.

'My wand' Harry said, 'I want you to have it'

Both Lily and Albus let out a small gasp and James' lips parted in surprise.

This was the Phoenix feather core wand that he had been using since he had started his first year in Hogwarts. The children knew how important that wand was to their father and were shocked to see him parting with it.

'But what about you dad? Won't you need it?' James shook his head refusing to take it.

'I have another' Harry reassured him, picking up a slightly shorter, darker wand off of his desk.

James inched forward and slowly took the wand from his father, looking over it with gravity.

'As I'm sure you are aware, strange things have been going on outside, and now inside, of Hogwarts too.' Harry took a seat at his desk and looked over it at his three children who were each now holding the possessions he had gifted them with.

'Whilst the Auror's office has been looking into the matter for quite some time now, I can tell you that we are no closer to discovering the source of all these deaths than we were when they first started to occur'

The children tensed. This admission was terribly bad news. They had each hoped that their father somehow had the situation under control. After all, he had defeated the darkest wizard in history.

'I want all of you to be very careful whilst at school this year. And, most importantly to look out for one another' He looked them each in the eyes, one by one as he spoke.

'I've given you each very powerful items, all of which helped me greatly to stay alive when Voldemort rose for the second time. I expect you to use these gifts not only to help yourselves but also each other'

A shiver ran down Lily's back. The last time Harry had gathered them all together and spoken to them with such gravity was when Josephus Durer had been on the run, but Lily could hardly remember that.

' _And_ ' Harry went on, 'I want you to tell me if something-  _anything_ \- that seems odd happens whilst you are at Hogwarts'

He gazed over at Lily with a sharp look.

'Including things like finding a portrait of a strange man in a disappearing room'

Lily looked down and pursed her lips.

'Yes dad' she muttered.

Guilt tugged at her heart. She knew she should tell her father about Alasdair and the pages he had taken from Helga Hufflepuff's diary. But doing so would undoubtedly result in the Headmistress finding out and Lily feared expulsion from Hogwarts even more than she feared death.

'Good' said Harry with an air of finality.

'Because I've told Professor Raleigh to keep an eye on you all too, so be sure I shall know if anything strange occurs'

Lily's stomach flipped at the sound of that name.

'You mean to say that Mr Raleigh will be at Hogwarts?' Albus asked sounding excited.

'He will be your new defense against the dark arts teacher' Harry confirmed.

Lily clenched the map in her hands with uneasiness.


	30. The three questions

Hazel was absolutely delighted.

She was all aflutter the first few days after they arrived for their new year at Hogwarts and when the time finally came for their first Defense Against the Dark Arts class, she put a pink ribbon in her hair and hummed happily to herself, skipping her way down the dormitory steps.

Even Poppy's comments that the ribbon made her look like a half-witted house elf weren't able to taint her mood.

Professor Raleigh did look a lot smarter than the majority of their professors and, apart from Professor Montespan perhaps, was much younger too. His presence in the castle drew much attention, not just because of his reputation for having prevented an increase in deaths by Noirmorter at Durmstrang but also because he wore luxurious royal red robes and his dark hair had an appealing silky shine to it.

Whilst Hazel silently fawned over him at the desk next to her, Lily sat at her own desk with her arms folded and her eyes narrowed. She didn't know why she disliked him so much but she felt so strongly about it that she couldn't see the point in trying to hide the fact.

When it came time for Lily to attempt to perform the disarming charm they had been being taught, she stood slowly up from her chair letting it scrape noisily across the floor behind her.

Then, with about as much enthusiasm as a Niffler might display towards a sock, she lifted her wand with a limp hand and muttered 'Expelliarmus'.

To no-one's surprise, nothing happened and Lily quickly sat down again.

She folded her arms back across her chest and stared down the room at her professor who seemed to be considering how he should react to her obvious lack of effort. He simply pursed his lips however and asked Lily to speak with him after class.

Lily was not at all pleased about this, having wanted to get out of the classroom and away from him as soon as possible.

When all of the students had cleared out of the room- even Hazel who had lingered back to congratulate Professor Raleigh on a 'splendid first lesson'- Lily remained in the same position seated on her chair with her arms folded and her legs sticking out in front of her.

Professor Raleigh chose to ignore this sign of contempt and made his way over to her taking a seat at the desk in front of her and turning his chair to face her.

They sat mere feet from one another, staring each other down for a few moments before Raleigh broke the silence.

'Your brother mentioned to me that you have been having trouble with your wand'

Lily exhaled in frustration and looked away at the floor. So Albus had already ratted on her to his new favorite teacher.

'May I see it?' Raleigh asked carefully, extending out a hand.

Without a word, Lily produced the wand from where she had shoved it inside the desk and dropped it into his open palm.

Raleigh held it at eye level and looked it over closely. Minutes ticked by but neither he nor Lily said anything.

'You don't think there is anything wrong with it' Lily voiced what she could see on his face.

'No' Raleigh agreed, handing it back to her.

'Which means there is something wrong with me' Lily muttered.

'I didn't say that Miss Potter' Raleigh looked at her with a bemused smile which annoyed Lily more than ever.

'You didn't need to' Lily said under her breath.

'So this Noirmorter business-' Raleigh raised his voice suddenly.

'-what do you know about it?'

'Only that people are dying, sir' Lily lied.

'Hmm' he looked unconvinced.

'It's just that I'm fairly sure that book is not from the school library' he motioned to her bag which was sitting open on the floor to the side of her desk, the book on Noirmorter Scorpius had given her protruding from it.

'I thought it best to educate myself on it, but I've not read much yet' Lily shrugged off his observation.

It wasn't true. She had read the book from cover to cover and could not find any hint as to how the curse was cast or who might be doing the casting.

'That's a good idea' he replied without breaking his gaze, 'Sometimes I think dark wizards are becoming more and more stealthy in their attempts at tarnishing our peaceful world'

'What do you mean sir?' Lily was thrown by this sudden commentary on the state of things.

'Voldemort- he used to look at people in the face before he murdered them-'

The fact that Raleigh himself was staring at her as he said this made Lily feel uneasy but she forced herself not to show it.

'-then along came Josephus Durer' he continued. 'You've met him haven't you? Albus told me-'

'I don't remember it' Lily cut him off dismissively.

'But you must have heard about what he did? How he was always hiding away, forcing muggles to walk off cliffs and murder one another via the imperious curse. It's not the way that Voldemort or even Grindelwald worked before him'

Lily had no idea why the professor had started up this scholarly discussion on the trends of dark wizards with her. It didn't seem like the usual kind of chat a professor might have with a second year student.

'But we will find the wizards who are behind this-'

'Or Witches' Lily said for no other reason than she felt the need to be defiant.

'Could be witches, couldn't it?' She muttered sulkily.

'Yes, it could be witches' Raleigh agreed, eyeing her with curiosity.

'And what did you think of Durer? When you met him?' He said taking the conversation back to her encounter with him.

'I thought he seemed like an honest man' Lily found herself telling the truth, to the better of her own judgement.

'The things we believe when we are young' the Professor chuckled nostalgically. Lily frowned in irritation which made him stop laughing and appeal to her.

'I understand Lily, I do-' he said softly.

'-it is often difficult to judge people when we first meet them, most especially when we are so young and inexperienced'

Lily said nothing. As true as it might be that she had been young and inexperienced she didn't feel he was at liberty to voice such a thing.

'I think perhaps you and I also got off on the wrong foot'

Whilst he said this with a light tone, the look in his eyes was anything but.

Lily turned away, refusing to meet his eyes again. She had to admit that when she thought logically about it there was no real reason for her aversion towards him. But she didn't often think logically.

'I'd like to go now sir' she said tonelessly.

'Very well Miss Potter' Raleigh's voice was suddenly hard. She could tell without having to look at his face that he was not pleased that she had slapped the olive branch from his hand.

* * *

Late in the evening, breaking curfew for perhaps the twentieth time, Lily found Scorpius where she always did; in his corner of the library. But despite the fact that the position he sat in was just the same and he had just as many tattered old books as always, he looked different.

He had circles under his eyes as though he had not slept and his usually neat hair was in a mess.

He also hardly seemed to notice when she appeared. Lily stood looking at him without taking a seat until he tore his eyes away from his book and shot her a frustrated look.

'What?'

'Your eyes look like my owl's eyes'

Lily said the first thing that had came to mind when his yellow eyes had finally flickered up into her line of vision.

Scorpius looked back at her with bewildered exasperation.

'Well gee, thank you' he muttered sarcastically, shaking his head.

'Silverstone's book' Lily began, finally taking a seat across from him. 'It didn't tell me anything about how to fix myself'

'Maybe you don't  _need_  fixing' Scorpius said gruffly back to her, his eyes back on his book. It was obvious she had caught him in a bad mood.

'But I can't stay like this!' Lily protested, 'I can't live the rest of my life with this condition- this curse!'

'There is a silver-lining to every curse' Scorpius cut her off dismissively.

'Says who?' Lily shot back at him.

'My mother' Scorpius looked up from his book at her again. His face had gone back to the hard expressionless one that he had used when they had first met.

'What does she know about it?' Lily scoffed.

'More than  _you_ ' Scorpius hissed, glaring at her. A few of the books around him wobbled about as the table shook under the pressure of Lily's rising temper.

'Anyway-' Scorpius quickly softened his tone to placate her. 'It's not a curse, it's a condition. You can work around it. You just need to figure out what your strengths are'

Lily was just about to argue when to her surprise Weebles flew out from behind the bookcase carrying a letter addressed to her from her uncle George.

She looked on in amusement as Scorpius studied Weebles' eyes to see if Lily's observation had been correct.

'See?' she teased him, as she untied the letter from Weebles' leg. Scorpius just shook his head however and went back to reading with a sour look on his face.

Uncle George's letter read;

_Dear Lily,_

_Congratulations on becoming twelve!_

_I'm sorry I missed your birthday party. We had a little problem with a house elf who was secretly sampling the merchandise at the factory and I needed to stay back to return him to his normal size and colour._

_I heard you inherited the Marauder's Map from your father. I always knew you would be the best candidate to take up the mischief making duties at Hogwarts._

_Your late Uncle Fred and I certainly had some fun with that map and I expect you shall too._

_Anyway, I found you a little present in Ron's desk that I thought would make a great addition to your father's gift._

_Happy mischief making!_

_George_

Checking inside the envelope, Lily found another piece of parchment.

In a messy scrawl was written;

_Things we are not to tell the children about_

_-The Room of Requirement_

_-The Shrieking Shack (or the tunnel entrance that leads there from the Whomping Willow)_

_-The Centaurs in the forrest_

_-How we managed to break into Gringott's bank_

_-The location of the entrance to the Chamber of Secrets_

_-What we saw in the Department of Mysteries_

_-The Sectumsempra spell_

Lily chuckled to herself. Trust uncle George to send her just the thing all the other adults didn't want her to see.

Her laughter made Scorpius look up from his book in reluctant curiosity.

'Did you know there were Centaurs in the forest?' she asked him cheerfully.

'There are?' his voice rose an octave and he looked astonished. Lily was pleased that he was showing much more interest than she had expected him to.

'How do you know?' he asked her sharply.

'My uncle told me' Lily held up the letter with a grin.

'Did he say where in the forest?' Scorpius tried to grab the letter from her hand but Lily quickly moved her arm out of his reach.

She frowned at him, surprised by his sudden eagerness.

'He didn't' she said slowly, watching a flash of resoluteness pass through his eyes.

'Why do you ask?' she was curious now.

'Because  _Centaurs_ \- they know just about everything! About history, about dark magic,  _about curses_. Some even know about the future' Scorpius replied as though it were obvious.

A thought dawned in Lily's mind.

'So perhaps they could tell me about how to fix my magic problem!' she exclaimed.

'Perhaps' said Scorpius muttered, suddenly pushing his chair back and getting up.

'Wait- where are you going?' she scrambled off her own chair, grabbing her bag and following him out of the empty library.

'Nowhere' he said defensively, hurrying to put some distance between himself and her in the long cobblestoned corridor.

'You're going to go see them right  _now_?' she exclaimed in shock ignoring his dismissal.

'Just stop following me will you?'

He quickened his pace.

'If  _you're_  going  _I_  want to go too' Lily said stubbornly.

Scorpius came to an abrupt stop with a sigh, allowing her to catch up with him.

'Do you want to get expelled?' He asked incredulously.

'I need to ask them if they know how I can perform magic better-'

'I'll ask them for you' Scorpius cut her off.

'You'd do that?' Lily was taken aback by his generosity.

'I'm going there anyway' he muttered dismissively.

'But you'd have a better chance of finding them if I went too and we used this' Lily pulled the old piece of parchment her father had given her out of her bag.

'What's that?' he asked looking dubious.

Lily took her wand out of her pocket and placed the tip of it on the parchment.

'I solemnly swear that I am up to no good' she recited, closing her eyes and willing it to work.

When nothing happened Lily opened her eyes to see Scorpius looking at her as though she were mad.

'I'm going. Don't follow me'

He turned on his heel and made to leave but Lily grabbed his arm stopping him.

'Could you just put your wand here and say what I did?' she begged him.

Scorpius exhaled in frustration, shaking his head at her bizarre demands.

'This could show us where the centaurs are!' she appealed to him with a pleading look.

Scorpius looked her distrustfully in the eyes as he took out his wand and placed it on the map.

'I swear I'm up to no good' he muttered quickly and reluctantly.

'I  _solemnly_  swear  _that I am_  up to no good' Lily corrected him forcefully.

Rolling his eyes and looking rather embarrassed, Scorpius repeated after her in an incredulous drawl;

' _I solemnly swear that I am up to no good_ '

Suddenly the parchment unfolded in Lily's hands as it had done when her father had activated it and before she knew it she was looking down once again at the detailed map of the Hogwarts grounds.

'Merlin' Scorpius breathed, his eyes following the various footsteps that walked across the map.

'Where'd you get-?'

'So we can go together?' Lily cut him off with a triumphant smile.

Scorpius looked at the map, then up at her face and then back down at the map again mulling it over.

'Only if you let me ask my question first' he said finally.

'Alright' Lily agreed happily, not having even realized that he had a particular question.

She insisted that they make their way there through a tunnel that lead from the dungeons to the edge of the forest and as it seemed the best way not to get caught along the way, Scorpius agreed.

Lily knew her way around the inside of the castle quite well already having spent so many evenings wandering it in search of the half-blood prince. She led the way and Scorpius followed along behind her with the map open in his hands, glancing at it occasionally to confirm that she was leading them in the right direction.

The entrance to the tunnel was covered with an iron grate and the tunnel beyond it looked incredibly dank and dark. Wind whistled eerily through it sending a shiver down Lily's spine.

For a few moments they stood silently in front of the grate and stared wearily into the darkness beyond. Nothing could be heard but the sound of water dripping and the echo of it along the tunnel.

'Break down the grate' Lily instructed Scorpius impatiently, breaking the silence.

Scorpius smirked at her bossiness.

'Yes Potter' he replied in a silky tone before raising his wand.

'Expulso!'

An explosive stream of blue light shot out from his wand and hit the grate violently tearing it off the concrete walls.

It made an immensely noisy clattering sound as it flew backwards into the tunnel and slid along the stone floor.

Lily winced, hoping that they hadn't just awoken the entire Slytherin population, whose dormitory could not be far from here.

Scorpius didn't wait a beat however and was already yards in front of her, disappearing into the darkness.

She hurried to catch up with him, not wanting to be left behind to make her way alone in the dark.

Scorpius had lit up his wand and once she had caught up with him he instructed her to give him hers. With a casual flick of his wrist and a quiet 'lumos' he lit hers up too and handed it back to her to hold.

They walked in silence through the dark tunnel for a while until Lily said;

'We could ask them about Noirmorter too'

Scorpius looked over at her, unenthusiastic about the idea.

'That can be question number three then. But I wouldn't get your hopes up. We'll be lucky if they even answer one. Centaurs are notoriously uncooperative'

Lily looked uneasily back at his face which was only just visible thanks to the light emitting from his wand.

'And they're also very dangerous- but you knew that right?' Scorpius turned again to look her in the eye.

Lily swallowed hard.

'Of course' she lied.


	31. A cure

As they reached the end of the tunnel, the air became damper and they could hear the calming pitter-patter of rain gentling cascading down over the lawns outside.

Holding up their lit up wands in the dark they could see a stone wall ahead signaling a dead end. Water streamed down from a grate in the tunnel roof. It was their only way out.

Lily looked over at Scorpius, but this time she didn't have to say anything. He swiftly blasted the grate off with the expulso spell and they both backed away to get out of it's path as it fell back down onto the tunnel floor with a clatter.

Once it had become quiet again, the pair looked at the hole in the ceiling which was at least ten feet above them.

'I wish I'd brought my broom' Lily mumbled.

'Mmm' Scorpius said absentmindedly. He looked rather troubled by this turn of events.

Lily hoped he had a spell in his repository that would enable them to get up that high.

After a few moments spent pondering, Scorpius slowly raised his wand at the fallen grate and yelled;

'Funemous!'

The grate was successfully transfigured into a long, thick rope and Scorpius looked relieved.

'Never done that one before' he said quietly under his breath as he passed Lily and went over to fetch the rope off the floor.

'But what are we going to do with it?' Lily asked skeptically. Scorpius handed her the rope to hold without a word.

He put his hand around the wand in Lily's hand without taking it off her and distinguished it's light with a quick 'Nox'. Then he walked over to where the rain was falling through the hole in the ceiling and motioned for her to join him.

They both stood under it, getting slowly soaked from the rain.

'You like flying right?' Scorpius asked.

Lily nodded, wondering why he'd chosen to start up a conversation about her hobbies at this particular point in time.

'Hold your wand up above your head' he instructed her. Lily did as he asked, extending her wand arm high with the tip pointed upwards.

Scorpius moved closer to her, raised his arm too and wrapped his hand over hers.

'Hold on tight' he warned her.

But before Lily had time to register his words he yelled; 'Ascendio!'

Lily's wand, with her attached to it, was sent flying upwards and through the hole in the ceiling.

In a panicked frenzy she wildly flayed her arms and legs about to try to maneuver herself through the air so that she would not end up falling straight back down through the hole.

She managed to land with a thud upon the grass right next to it and felt her side bruise under her.

'Oww!' she moaned loudly, partly from the pain and partly so that Scorpius, who had let go of her hand just in time and was still in the tunnel, would be able to hear.

'Tie that rope to a tree and throw me the end!' she heard his voice yell up from below.

'Why can't you just use the same spell!? Don't want to break your hip?' she yelled back down at him annoyed.

'Sorry Lily, I'll heal you when I get there' he seemed genuinely concerned, but Lily remained unimpressed.

'Maybe I'll just leave you down there' she snapped massaging her bruised thigh and hip.

Lily heard him mumble something out of earshot. She shuffled over to the hole in the ground and stuck her head over it to look down at him.

'What was that?' she yelled down at his anxious face.

'I said- I can't fly, okay? I don't like it' he muttered, looking away uncomfortably.

'What do you mean?' Lily could not comprehend such a thing.

' _I mean_ , flying is terrifying and I hate it and I'd rather be kicked in the face by a bloody hippogriff than have to fly,  _that's what I mean_ ' he shot back at her in frustration.

'But that's  _insane_ -' Lily said emphatically.

'-flying is the most  _wonderful_ , most  _incredible_  thing in the world'

Scorpius just looked darkly back up at her. As mad as she thought he was for thinking such a thing, Lily realized this probably wasn't the best time to be arguing and reluctantly shuffled off to go find a tree to tie the rope to.

The tunnel had led them right to the very edge of the forest, so there was a line of trees within less than a few feet from the hole. After she had fastened one end of the rope tightly to a tree, she dutifully threw the other down to Scorpius and he huffed and puffed his way to the top.

Lily helped him out of the opening and onto the grass once he had climbed high enough by holding onto the upper part of one of his arms and hauling him upwards.

By the time he had made it onto the grass, the pair were both completely soaked from the rain but nevertheless Scorpius used a water deflecting spell on his upturned wand and they huddled under it. Using Lily's wand, Scorpius healed her bruises as promised before lighting it up again with the Lumos spell and handing it back to her.

They moved huddled together towards the forest, with Scorpius holding his umbrella-like water deflecting wand and Lily holding hers as a light for them to see.

The woods were far darker and far more eery at night than Lily had imagined. It took a considerable amount of courage for her to take her first steps into them and she was relieved that she wasn't alone, if only because Scorpius's presence made her feel inclined to swallow her fear out of pride.

Once they had wandered far enough in that they were completely surrounded by thick forest on all sides, Scorpius stopped and took out the map again.

'So how are we supposed to find them with this?' he asked skeptically, his eyes scanning the inky mass of trees that represented the forest.

'Well…' said Lily, peering over the map and trying to sound prepared but only just realizing that it may not be that much help after all.

'It seems like any living inhabitant of Hogwarts with a name is noted on this map…'

'Yeah…' Scorpius took his eyes away from the map for a moment and looked at her expectantly.

'So…as centaurs have names, I'm assuming they'll be on here too' Lily finished simply.

'But do you  _know_  any of the centaurs names?' Scorpius asked flatly.

'Well… no… but maybe we can guess from the sound of the name-'

'Like what? Give me an example of a centaur sounding name' Scorpius cut across her snickering.

'Well I dunno… Firehoof? Dimondmane? Crag?' Lily had now had enough conversations with Scorpius to know when he was taking the Mickey out of her and wasn't surprised when she saw his shoulders begin to shake with laughter.

' _Crag_?'

'Or you know, something like that' Lily brushed away his amusement and quickly focused her attention back on the map.

There were a few names moving about but the problem was that many of them would walk to and fro between the section of the forest that was noted on the map and that which wasn't.

'Mosag' Lily said pointing to one of the names that was moving around not too far from them. 'Do you think that sounds like a centaur name?'

Scorpius shook his head; 'I don't know but- centaurs usually move around in packs don't they?'

'Oh right…' Lily said gloomily. Now that they were actually inside the expansive, very dark and dreary forest, she was beginning to loose confidence in their ability to accomplish their task.

Lily searched instead for groups of names. She came across one and pointed it out to Scorpius with a finger.

'Trocar, Sanguini and Nicholas- those sound like centaur names don't they?' she said excitedly.

'More than  _Crag_ ' Scorpius agreed with a smirk.

With the map as their guide, Lily and Scorpius carefully made their way in the direction of the three strangers. They remained silent for the most part, listening to the unearthly sounds of the surrounding forest to make sure they could hear clearly in case any sort of beast were to suddenly sneak up on them.

Though the odd rustling of leaves sent shivers up her spine, Lily found the rays of moonlight that lit up the mossy forest floor quite beautiful. She reflected that Lysander would probably love how dark and other-worldly the forest was and resolved to take him along if they could not find the centaurs and were forced to come back again another night.

When they neared the spot on the map where the names Trocar, Sanguine and Nicolas were indicated, they could see a clearing up ahead. Scorpius stopped Lily gently with a hand on her arm and whispered to her;

'We need to be careful- just in case, you know, they  _aren't_ centaurs…'

'Right' Lily swallowed hard, not really knowing how she could prepare for such an outcome.

'Nox' said Scorpius quietly with a hand over her wand clasped hand, extinguishing her wand.

He also disarmed the water repelling spell he had been using so that his wand would be at the ready to defend them and they felt the rain softly cascade down on them again.

With the moonlight as their only source of light it was much darker and they moved stealthily towards the clearing to get a view of who it was that was there.

Peering out from behind a large oak, Scorpius and Lily scanned the area.

But there was no one to be found.

In fact, the only movement was the fluttering of wings from a few stray bats flying overhead.

Scorpius opened up the map again and held it close to their faces to get a better view. The footprints of the three strangers remained in the same position.

'Is this ruddy thing broken?' Scorpius asked, his voice returning to normal volume.

'No, it can't be- they must be here' Lily moved quickly out from behind the tree and stumbled into the centre of the clearing much to the surprise of Scorpius.

'No- Lily wait!' he yelled out, rushing after her.

There was a loud swishing sound and Lily felt someone rush at her from behind knocking her down. She yelled out but just as she did she heard the unsettling sound of Scorpius yelling too.

Lily felt several pairs of hands grabbing at her wrists and trying to hold her down. She thrashed wildly around on the ground to escape their clasp and managed to turn herself onto her back and get a look at her attackers.

Lily could see to her horror that it was two middle aged men who now each had a hold of one of her arms and held them firmly to the damp ground.

Both were dressed in dark robes and had pale, unhealthy looking skin. The man with her left hand in his grasp was terribly thin and had dark shadows under his eyes, but he at least had an expression of concern on his face. His counterpart who held down her right arm and had mattered black hair and several scars on his face, looked far more menacing as he looked hungrily down at her.

'We can't  _kill_  her Trocar-' the thin man said anxiously, '-only feed on her'

Lily realized with a bolt of fear that two of his upper front teeth were long and sharp.

'I'm starving Sanguini! No one will know it was us!' Trocar hissed back showing his fangs.

The immense danger of her situation hit her like a brick and Lily let out a scream. Her fear burst out of her in the form of a blue light that smacked into the two men and sent them flying off their feet. They were thrown as far back as the edge of the clearing and landed with a bone-cracking thud.

But Lily had no time to feel relieved. As she sat up, the view of Scorpius being held by his neck against a tree by a third, white-blond haired vampire sent a chill down her spine.

She scrambled onto her feet and ran towards him, but she was still meters from him when she saw the vampire's mouth open and his fangs descend upon his collarbone.

Not able to do anything else, Lily screamed.

'Scorpius!'

Suddenly Scoripus's attacker stopped with his teeth just barely grazing his skin and turned to look at Lily with round eyes. He then looked back at Scorpius and swiftly released his neck, allowing him to fall to the ground, gasping for breath.

The blonde vampire took a shaky step backwards, his face pale with shock.

'S-Scorpius?' he whispered incredulously.

'Scorpius M-M-?'

It was as though he were chocking on his own words and they were unable to escape his throat.

Scorpius, having finally regained his breath, looked up at him in confusion.

'Malfoy' Scorpius confirmed, finishing the vampire's question for him.

The blonde vampire's lips parted in surprise and he made to say something but before he could get a word out, the clearing was filled with the thundering of hooves.

Four muscled centaurs bounded into the clearing and hurtled towards the three vampires, who, in rapid procession, each transformed into a black bat and flew away.

Scorpius scrambled to his feet and stumbled towards the herd of centaurs who stood looking fierce gathered together in the middle of the clearing.

To Lily's surprise, Scorpius fell to his knees in front of the large, black haired, chestnut colored centaur who stood at the front and looked to be the leader.

'I humbly ask that you impart some of your knowledge upon me' he said with a desperate expression before bowing forward onto the soggy ground.

Lily rushed to his side and got down on her knees too.

The leader of the herd looked down upon them with disdain.

"We came here because the daughter of Harry Potter was in danger from the fanged ones who attempt to soil our territory with blood" he spat, looking disapprovingly in Lily's direction.

"We do not give information to humans- especially the sons of Death Eaters who cannot be trusted" He finished with a huff, his eyes filled with disgust as he peered down at Scorpius.

Scorpius didn't move, but Lily could see the muscles in his shoulders tense.

"Sir, please-" Lily spoke up.

"His name is Magorian" a blonde haired centaur with astonishingly blue eyes said in a kind tone that Lily had not expected after hearing Magorian's harsh one.

"That is Ronan and Bane" he continued motioning to a red haired, chestnut bodied centaur and a black haired, black bodied centaur in turn.

"And I am Firenze" he said finally, "An ally of your father's during the war"

Lily felt relieved to know that at least this one centaur seemed unlikely to bring her harm.

"Magorian, Ronan, Bane and Firenze-" Lily began again addressing them each in turn and making sure to let them each see the plea in her eyes.

"We  _can_  be trusted. There are three questions we seek to ask your wisdom for. But if you please, we would like you to answer Scorpius's question first"

The centaurs looked at one another in surprise.

"Your fathers came into this forest when they were almost as many moons as you" Firenze explained.

"But they came as enemies and they remained that way. Yet you come to us now as allies?"

Lily looked over at Scorpius who was still bowed over and now shivering from his sustained contact with the damp ground. She had always instinctively felt that he could be trusted, even after her brother had warned her against him, and in spite of what she had heard about his family. He had also proven to be charitable towards her on several occasions; healing her wounds, giving her information, saving her best friend from an enchanted glove and even lying to his father on her behalf.

"Yes" said Lily firmly. "What happened during the war- it has nothing to do with either of us"

Scorpius raised his head slightly and turned it to the side to look at her in surprise.

A wave of scandalized mutterings broke out amongst the centaurs.

"What nonsense is this?"

" _Nothing_  to do with you?"

"Have you no loyalty or pride towards your household?"

Scorpius took this opportunity to raise his head and speak over them.

"Please" he begged, "I must know how to cure a Maledictus"

The centaurs immediately fell into silence.

Then Firenze stepped forward, slowly shaking his head.

"It is as you have feared" he said gently.

Scorpius looked up at him with knotted eyebrows and an expression of utter distress.

"No" his voice broke and he began to shake his head quickly from side to side.

"That is your answer" Firenze closed his eyes solemnly and turned away from him.

"No-" Scorpius whimpered, "There must be a way-"

His body fell limply back forward onto the ground in a despairing bow and he began to breath heavily in distress.

Lily felt a pain in her heart. She didn't know what a Maledictus was or why Scorpius so desperately wanted to know how to cure one but she felt his sadness keenly.

"What is it that  _you_  wanted to know child?" Firenze asked sympathetically, tearing her attention away from Scorpius.

"Well I-"

Seeing Scorpius suffering so much, Lily could hardly focus. But she knew there was one question that she could not leave without asking.

"How can Noirmorter be stopped for good?"

She had meant to ask about her own problem first, but Scorpius's sudden anguish had reminded her that her inability to perform magic was not as pressing a problem as any potential risk to the lives of others.

"Why does she ask what she already knows?" Magorian said gruffly.

Lily looked up at him in surprise.

"I already know?"

Was he talking about Alasdair's theory that a Hetaeria Sodalitas could protect Hogwarts from the curse?

"Yes" Firenze said, "But you should be weary of the words of the dead"

This only opened up further questions for Lily, but to her dismay Magorian seemed to have lost what little patience he had.

"Enough! The humans must return to their school and we must depart to find the fanged ones and banish them from our lands"

Magorian reared onto his back legs in a display of ferocity and hurtled out of the clearing. Bane and Ronan quickly followed suite, but Lily cried out to Firenze and ran towards him.

"Wait-" she yelled, "You must tell me how I can learn to control my magic!"

To Lily's distress, Firenze galloped away into the trees. But not moments later he had returned. He slowed to a trot as he made a loop around her and threw her a deep pink, five petalled flower.

"Your answer lies here" he yelled back, galloping off again to follow his herd into the dark forest.

Lily looked down at the flower in her hand completely bewildered.

She would leave the forest with more questions than she had answers, but she felt relief that at least Firenze had told her that there was an answer for her.

It was more hope than Scorpius had been given.


	32. The lightening-struck tower

Lily retailed her strange encounter with the centaurs to a keenly listening Lysander and Fides as they sat on the quidditch pitch stands with her, watching the Gryffindor team tryouts. Lily's cousin Fred had graduated, so they were now in need of another chaser and Alanna and Poppy were once again there to try out.

Just as Lily had predicted, Lysander was quite jealous when he heard about the terrifying ordeal she had gone through in the forest. On his many trips to different continents with his family Lysander had seen all manner of creatures and beings but he was yet to meet either a vampire or a centaur.

Fides, on the other hand, meowed about how glad he was that he had remained asleep on her bed that day rather than follow her to the library.

Lily placated Lysander by showing him the list her uncle George had sent her and promising to cross off another item on it with him. He seemed particularly interested in the 'Shrieking Shack' which he had recently seen from the outside for the first time at Hogsmeade. Lily told him she would look up the location of the whomping willow on her new map and that together they could go exploring for the entrance.

Lily also told them about Firenze's warning to be weary of the words of the dead and showed them the flower she had been given. Lysander seemed quite excited to hear that Alasdair's idea of creating a Hetaeria Sodalitas had been all but validated by a herd of centaurs but was confused about the warning.

'Why should we be weary of words written by someone who is dead?' He wondered out loud watching as an incredible Alanna Hooch shot through the air in front of them and scored yet another goal past Johnathan.

'They have less reason, surely, to lie than someone who is alive? And from what I hear about her loyalty and jolliness, Helga Hufflepuff doesn't seem the deceptive type now does she?'

'I don't know' Lily said, 'Maybe it's not that she lied but that it was such a very different time back then… I mean it's hard to even imagine what it was like, let alone know if what was done then could or should be undertaken again now'

Lily had been carrying around the flower and had it out of her bag and in between her fingers, twirling it as she thought.

'Do you suppose I could use this in some kind of potion or something? To fix myself?'

The thought had only just occurred to her.

'Why not just eat it whole?' Fides said sarcastically, making her tut at him in annoyance.

'I don't know Lily… I hear centaurs are usually quite cryptic. I'm not sure they would just hand you a cure' Lysander said, expressing his disapproval of her idea much more tactfully.

'Well I wish they had' she muttered sulkily.

Down below the rest of the Gryffindor team cheered as Alanna shot right through the hoop to Johnathan's left with terrifying speed.

'What do you think of Professor Raleigh?' Lily asked Lysander, suddenly curious for his evaluation of their new professor.

Lysander didn't really seem to make many assumptions or judgements about the people around him. He always seemed so accepting of everyone. Lily figured that if even he had found Raleigh to be a bit off than she could safely say that she was on to something.

'He has a nice beard' Lysander said in a peaceful daze as he watched Poppy mount her broom, readying for her turn.

'Oh. I suppose so' Lily replied, heavily disappointed.

Alanna gracefully landed with the quaffle and handed it to the very nervous looking Poppy. Lily could hear Thomas Hugues, who was watching from a seat a few rows below them, exclaim that he was glad he hadn't tried to go up against the formidable Alanna Hooch again this year.

'But Horon Carrow seems to really hate him' Lysander commented in an upbeat tone.

'What? Why?' Lily was surprised and not a little bit disturbed to have found an ally in Carrow of all people.

'Apparently, he had really wanted to go to Durmstrang- what with his mother having been a Death Eater, he felt he'd be more welcome there. But then Professor Raleigh changed their emissions standards so that muggleborns were allowed in. A lot of pureblood families started to boycott the school then, the Carrow's among them'

Lily turned on her seat to face Lysander. She had completely lost interest in the tryouts since Alanna's incredible display had finished; it was obvious she would be wearing the Gryffindor uniform along side her at their next match.

'Do you know what a Maledictus is?' she asked him, trying to sound nonchalant. She hadn't told Lysander about Scorpius's question. For some reason it felt too private and she felt she would be breaking his trust to divulge it to others.

'It's a person with a certain kind of blood curse' Lysander replied brightly without batting an eyelid at her sudden query.

'The curse allows them to turn into an animal at will, but the longer one has it the more painful it becomes staying human. So all Maledictuses end up turning permanently into beasts'

Lily felt her body temperature rise and her hands begin to shake with worry as she thought over this revelation.

'Ma says that they're extremely rare though, Maledictuses' Lysander said soothingly.

Lily felt a dull pain in her chest. Could it really be that Scorpius was afflicted with this blood curse? She didn't want to think so.

As through reading her thoughts from her anguished expression, Lysander added;

'The curse can only be borne by women'

Lily looked up at him in relief. She opened her mouth to ask more when suddenly there was a loud cracking sound of wood snapping. Lily and Lysander both immediately turned their attention back to the pitch.

Alanna Hooch stood with her broom raised in both hands, fuming with anger. The broom was broken in two, hanging together only by a thin strand of wood. She threw it to the side and stormed off towards the castle, ignoring Professor Claudas who was running after her with his scoring parchment calling out for her to 'come right back 'ere zis instant!'.

Once they were gone there was a chilling silence. Lily looked around in confusion for the source of Alanna's sudden outburst.

A few feet away from where her broken broom now lay on the pitch James stood frozen holding a Gryffindor jersey outstretched to Poppy.

He looked aghast at the sudden outburst he had caused in denying Alanna's entry to the team for the second year in a row. From the sidelines Lily saw Albus hurriedly begin to clap to break the tension in the air.

'Well done Balfour, well deserved!' he yelled in a lackluster voice.

Poppy snatched up the jersey as though frightened it might be taken away at any moment and allowed a triumphant smile to form on her lips.

' _Poppy_?' Lily breathed out in disbelief.

'I have to play quidditch from now on with  _Poppy Balfour_?'

* * *

Lily had taken the hint from the way in which Scorpius had remained completely silent on their return from the forest that he was not in the mood to talk to her. But she was still surprised when day after day, she turned the corner around the restricted section to find his chair empty.

She supposed he was avoiding her and wanted to be left alone. But the whole experience had been so extraordinary and had left open so many questions that she felt an intense need to debrief with him about what had happened.

Lily had neglected to deactivate the marauder's map, knowing that if she did she would be unlikely to be able to activate it again. After a lonely evening spent in the library with a snoozing Fides hoping that Scorpius would appear, she took it out of her bag and held it in her hands, wrestling with her convictions.

On the one hand, she felt deeply that it was wrong to spy on others and had hated it on the rare occasion that her brothers had done so to her during their childhood. But on the other, she reflected, what good was it having this map if she didn't use it for what it was designed for?

Pushing away her misgivings, she hurriedly opened it up on the small table in front of her and searched for Scorpius's footprints. The mass of movement all over the map made this difficult but after a while she was able to locate him on his own at the top of the Astronomy tower.

Lily swept the map back up into her bag with a tinge of guilt, pulled a reluctant Fides up onto her shoulder and headed for the tower. After several flights of stairs and much huffing and puffing, she cursed Scorpius internally for having chosen such a hard to reach location. It really drove home the point that he wanted to be left alone, but she had come too far to let this worry her now and she pushed on stubbornly.

But once she had arrived she felt somehow nervous about opening the door to the roof. What if he threw a tantrum worse than the one she had seen Alanna Hooch throw at the pitch?

Lily pondered upon the possibility of this for a few moments, but as she had never seen Scorpius become that angry before (in fact most of the time he seemed cold and disconnected), she decided that the risk of this was low.

Fides impatiently jumped off her shoulder and landed gracefully on the ground on all four paws.

'We're not going all the way back down again without talking to him are we?' he yowled up at her.

'Don't be silly' Lily said, defiantly gathering her courage and opening the door.

The sky outside was glowing a brilliant orange as the sun faded into the distant hills. Scorpius sat on the ledge gloomily staring out at it with his legs hanging out over the grounds. The sight of him in such a precarious position with a look of utter misery on his face sent a shock through Lily's entire body and she rushed forward and threw her hands around his waist.

She felt Scorpius jolt at the contact and he cried out in surprise.

'Don't do it!' she yelled into his back, clutching at the shirt around his stomach.

'Don't do  _what_?' Scorpius cried back, twisting around to try to face her. 'What in the name of Salazar Slytherin are you doing?!'

'Don't jump! Don't jump!' Lily cried out, still in a fever of anxiety.

'I wasn't planning on jumping!' Scorpius yelled back bewildered, before breaking into hysterical laughter.

Lily quickly released his waist. He threw his legs one by one back over the roof side if the ledge and slid off it safely onto the stone ground.

'Merlin, you almost made me fall off in surprise' he said trying to catch his breath between laughs and looking at her as though she were mad.

'He thinks your mad' Fides meowed the obvious, butting his head into her ankles as he moved about at her feet.

'Well he looked so bloody miserable' Lily retorted defensively to Fides before turning her attention back to Scorpius.

'And what on earth were you doing on the ledge?'

She was secretly glad to see that he looked a lot happier now, even if the reason was because he was laughing at her expense.

But the smile began to fade from Scorpius's face as he considered his answer.

'Well I don't like heights' he began.

'All the more reason not to be there' Lily said perplexed.

'I was trying to scare myself into forgetting something unpleasant' he admitted softly.

'Are you alright?' Lily's voice rose an octave. She suddenly felt a lot more justified for having thought he was about to throw himself off of a tower.

'Not really' Scorpius replied with far more honesty than Lily had expected.

Though she had asked the question, she found that she didn't know what to say next and there was a moment of awkward silence.

'That was weird, that meeting with those vampires, wasn't it?' Lily broke the silence with the first thing that came her mind.

' _Weird_?' Scorpius scoffed.

'If by weird you mean incredibly stupid- then yes. I can't believe we walked right up to a colony of vampires. I should have known that Sanguini was a vampire name…"

'No I mean how that vampire suddenly let you go when he realized who you were' Lily said with a frown.

'Oh _that_ ' Scorpius muttered dismissively. 'I expect it's because my family has always been very anti-vampire'

' _Anti-vampire_?' Lily asked incredulously.

'Yeah, I mean they are pretty anti any being that isn't a witch or wizard, but they've been known to do insidious things to vampires in the past, so I suppose perhaps he was scared of the repercussions of attacking me or something'

Lily had heard many a thing about the Malfoy family. But the idea that their name could inspire fear in vampires was the first to really make her realize just how treacherous they could be.

'It's not true you know' Scorpius said suddenly, staring out ahead at the grounds again.

'What's not true?' Lily shot back confused.

'That the war has nothing to do with us' Scorpius turned again to look her in the eye.

'Did you want me to let that herd of Centaurs trample you?' Lily smirked.

'It was a nice thing to say' Scorpius said calmly. 'But it's not true'

'My grandfather and father conspired to kill and hurt people. In fact, for all I know, my grandfather  _did_  kill people' Scorpius continued on matter of factly.

'And you think you have some kind of responsibility for that?' Lily shook her head, aghast.

'I have some responsibility to not make the bad they did worse' he said simply.

'You mean to  _make it better_ ' Lily corrected him.

'No I don't' Scorpius said gloomily, 'Nothing will ever make it better'

They fell into silence again.

'About your question to the centaurs-' Lily began to ask before Scorpius cut her off.

'I don't really want to talk about that' he said closing his eyes.

'Alright' she said lightly, sensing she had touched a nerve.

'Why don't you go to the library any more?' she asked instead.

'No point' Scorpius muttered grimly.

'Right' Lily sighed. It seemed futile to prod him anymore to explain what was going on in that mysterious mind of his and she felt somewhat intrusive for having tried in the first place.

'Well if you ever want to come back-' she began as she picked Fides up and snuggled him back onto her shoulder in preparation to leave.

'I'll be there. And you could talk to me about things' she finished lamely.

Scorpius looked back at her silently studying her face. She felt embarrassed and quickly made her way back to the door.

But with one foot through the door, Lily turned back with an afterthought.

'I still think it has nothing to do with  _me_  though' she yelled back at him.

Scorpius looked back at her in confusion.

'I'm proud of what my father did. But to me he's just my dad. The actions he took shaped his life and the actions I take will shape mine' she explained.

'That's a very noble philosophy' Scorpius said calmly back, 'But I'm not sure anyone else will see it that way'

'Does it matter what anyone else thinks?' Lily asked rhetorically with a smirk before pulling the door shut behind her.


	33. The scar

Lily had a lot to think about and a lot of time in which to do it as she descended the many steps of the astronomy tower. She'd never met anyone as closed off as Scorpius before. Lily had grown up in a household always full of the chatter of her relatives, where people would pop in and out for a visit without warning and in which hardly anyone even bothered to knock upon entering a room. Apart from the information sensitive to the ministry which her father needed to keep secret, her family was open with each other and more often than not the way a person was feeling was displayed for all to see immediately on their face.

But with Scorpius everything was shut off and kept hidden away inside. She knew that it couldn't be the fact that his father and grandfather had been death eaters that was making him so grim all of a sudden; that had been a reality his whole life and up until this point he'd never even brought it up. It had to be something to do with his Maledictus question. She knew without a doubt however that unless he wanted her to find out, she was unlikely ever to get to the bottom of it.

'Stop' Fides hissed in her ear suddenly, surprising Lily out of her muddled thoughts.

'Can't you hear that? There is someone just below'

Lily held her breath and listened carefully. It was well past curfew and she didn't want to be discovered out of bed. Sure enough she could hear the very faint sound of soft footsteps coming from a few flights down. She sat down quickly on the steps and took out the Marauder's map.

Her stomach twisted with dread at the sight of Professor Raleigh's name next to the footprints below her on the staircase. She watched as they slowly moved off the staircase and through a door into a passage to the left.

'Now's our chance' Fides hissed. 'Let's go'

Lily got up with the map still open in her hands and made her way swiftly down the staircase but when she reached the door he had gone through, her curiosity got the better of her.

'But what is he  _doing_  there?' she muttered, stopping to look down at the map.

The professor had come to a stop near a window at the end of the passage. Lily gingerly moved towards the door.

'Don't you dare' Fides moaned.

But Lily ignored him. She exhaled nervously before very quietly and carefully turning the door nob and peering through a small gap in the door.

Luckily for her, the Professor stood with his back to her in front of the window fiddling with something in his hands. Lily squinted trying to get a good look but all she could see was what appeared to be some straw that he was knotting together onto whatever he held in front of him.

There was a flash of light as lighting struck outside and the professor abruptly looked up and out the window. Lily realized with a bolt of fear that her reflection might be visible and shut the door noisily with a thud.

She sprinted down the stairs no longer worried about the noise she was making, only that she put as much distance as she could between her and the professor.

When it was apparent that he wasn't coming after her she slowed down to catch her breath. Fides took the opportunity to let rip at her.

'Are you  _absolutely mad_?' he yowled. 'You don't trust Raleigh,  _I_  don't trust Raleigh and here you are sneaking up on him in the middle of the night just asking for trouble!'

Lily exhaled in relief at having not been chased. It  _had_  been a rather stupid move. But she was desperate to find a more logical reason to distrust him and whatever he was doing up here in the middle of the night seemed like it could be one.

She turned to look at the distressed cat on her shoulder.

'Sorry Fides I-'

'Lily!' he yelped cutting her off suddenly.

'There's something wrong with your eyes!'

'What?' Lily said bewildered before fear and realization struck her. She didn't have time to think more deeply however as suddenly an excruciating pain filled her entire body and she buckled to her knees on the steps below her.

It wasn't just pain either. She felt incredibly sick in every possible way. Her stomach churned, her ears rung and a fever broke out like fire from within her.

Lily tried to scream but she found she was unable to open her mouth. She clawed at her own face, trying to force her mouth open but it was bound shut by an invisible force.

The last thing Lily saw of the staircase was Fides' paws as he ran off up the stairs. Then she blacked out.

* * *

Lily could hear the sound of a fierce wind ripping through the air around her. She opened her eyes to discover that she was surrounded on all sides by damp hills and grey skies. Her eyes stopped on a group of wizards gathered together in a circle on the edge of one of the hills which dropped off into a great cliff. Below it she could hear violent waves from the ocean crashing against the rock-face.

Lily stumbled towards the group of men. They all wore hooded black robes and were huddled over someone.

Suddenly a green light shot up into the sky from out of the group of men and twisted into the shape of a skull with a serpent emerging from it's gaping mouth. Lily stopped in fear.

This was the sign of the Dark Lord. She had seen it in books and photographs. Her father had even described it in great detail to her once.

But seeing it shining menacingly in the sky above her was more terrifying than she ever could have imagined.

She tripped over her own feet trying to scramble away. She was about to get up and sprint away in terror when the sight of familiar ice-blonde hair caught her eye.

The person who had been surrounded by the hooded men stood up, his body shaking from either the cold or from fear- Lily could not tell.

It was Scorpius. His ice-blonde hair and yellow eyes were unmistakable.

And yet it was  _not_  him as she knew him now. He looked to be at least five or six years older. Age had been kind to him and he looked handsome but for the look of terror that tainted his features.

Lily yelled out his name, afraid that he would be attacked by whomever these dark figures were that enveloped him.

His head turned from side to side in a panic as if hearing her but not seeing her. She yelled out his name louder this time, trying to alert him to her position fallen down in a heap on the side of the hill. But though his eyes passed over the spot where she was, he did not seem to be able to see her.

In a moment of confusion, Lily thought she could hear his panicked voice on the wind calling her name. But she could see that his mouth wasn't moving.

The hooded figures began to disappear one by one into wisps of dark smoke. She got up quickly and ran to where Scorpius stood, still unable to see her though she was but feet from him.

Lily realized in shock that his left forearm was dripping with blood, the sleeves of his robes in tatters around it as though somebody had ripped them open. She rushed forward to look at it but froze as it came into view, a violent gasp leaving her body.

On Scorpius's inner forearm was the same mark as that which could be seen in the sky. Except that his version was etched into his very skin and was still gleaming with fresh blood.

Lily stood petrified in disbelief, the harsh wind still whipping at her skin and tearing at her hair.

Scorpius's eyes finally found their way to her. He looked directly at her as though she had just appeared before him, even though she had been there all along.

'Lily'

His voice was choked with pain and despair.

* * *

Lily awoke with a sudden intake of breath and looked around her in confusion. It was quiet again, the wind and the cliffs gone. She was lying down on a soft bed in a large, dimly lit room.

'It's alright Miss Potter. You're alright'

Lily jumped at the feeling of someone placing a hand on her shoulder. It was Professor Montespan, looking down upon her from the side of her bed with a concerned expression.

'Where am I?' she tried to sit up but she felt a sudden bolt of pain in her upper right arm and had to stop.

'Easy now- don't move please. I've just finished bandaging that arm' the Professor said to her with a touch of impatience.

'You're in the Hospital Wing' he added. 'The Headmistress and your father were just here not a minute ago but they've gone to report to the Ministry what happened'

'The  _Ministry_?' Lily asked bewildered. 'What about?'

'About the fact that you've just contracted- and survived- the Noirmorter curse' The professor replied with furrowed eyebrows.

'What?' Lily exhaled, the fear palpable in her voice.

'It's alright Miss Potter- It's over now. Mr Malfoy did a good job of curing you'

'Mr Malfoy?' Lily said in a daze, the image of the older Scorpius with a dark mark cut into his arm returned to her causing her to shudder.

'Yes. Apparently your cat went to fetch him. T'was quite clever really. Seemed like your mouth had been cursed shut too- he couldn't get the Wiggenweld in there. So instead he cut open your arm, poured the potion into your blood and used a blood returning spell to force it back in through your veins.'

Lily felt feint at the description. No wonder her arm hurt so much.

'It's likely to scar though, unfortunately. Forcing potions in that way greatly inhibits the healing process I'm afraid'

'Why are you here and not Madame Pomfrey?' Lily asked abruptly. She was suddenly filled with doubt about the fact that an unlicensed healer was tending to her wounds.

Montespan clicked his tongue at her in annoyance.

'Because they needed a  _licensed_  healer to go to the ministry to be a witness to the fact that what you had contracted was indeed Noirmorter' he replied gruffly.

'And, because a truly competent healer like Madame Pomfrey knows another competent healer, such as myself, when they see one and trusted me to look after you. Unlike the blasted Ministry and their impossible licensing standards' He finished in a spiteful mutter.

Lily narrowed her eyes at him distrustfully.

'I want Madame Pomfrey to check everything when she gets back' she said with her chin raised in defiance.

Professor Montespan let out a wry laugh.

'Merlin, what a tongue you've got. Never met a more curt student in my life'

'You've met Poppy Balfour' Lily pointed out.

This made Montespan laugh harder and Lily too found herself unable to hold back a smirk.

'Yes what a pair you are' the Professor agreed.

'We're  _not a pair_ ' Lily snapped, displeased.

'Yes, yes. Whatever you like' the Professor said dismissively.

'Where is Scor- I mean Mr Malfoy?' Lily asked.

'Well he's gone back to his dormitory' Montespan said with a raised eyebrow.

'I wouldn't expect him to come for a visit' he chuckled, 'You must know how shy he is'

' _Shy_?' said Lily skeptically with a frown.

'You don't think so?' Motespan looked back at her with a bemused smile.

'I wouldn't call it ' _shy_ '' Lily said in exasperation, 'More like 'anti-social''

The Professor howled with laughter again, his eyes dancing with delight.

'Give the boy a break Miss Potter, he's just saved your life!'

Lily pouted. She couldn't shake the feeling of dread that her strange vision of him on the cliffside with a dark mark had left her.

'Professor-' Lily began in a far gentler tone than she had used with him up until this point.

'-Noirmorter causes hallucinations doesn't it?'

'Yes, that's what they say' Montespan replied, his expression changing to a grave one.

'So none of it is real is it?' she whispered, her voice breaking and tears springing to her eyes.

'No Miss Potter. It's alright' he said gently with a hand on her arm.

'Get some rest now' He said soothingly. 'Your father will be back by morning'


	34. An investigation

When Lily awoke, just as Professor Montespan had told her, she found herself face to face with her father who sat by her bed in his Auror robes with a concerned look on his face. But it was not only her father. A great number of red, black and blonde haired students also encircled her, chattering away.

There was Victoire with her shining prefects badge to match her shinning locks, along with her younger sister Dominique, Gryffindor's prime beater and most likely the most beautiful beater that Hogwarts had ever seen. Then there was Hugo, the youngest Weasley at Hogwarts, who was laughing loudly at some joke his cousin Roxanne had whispered to him. Molly was there too in her Hufflepuff robes along with Lucy and Rose in their Ravenclaw ones. The three stood out somewhat amongst the sea of Gryffindor Weasleys and Potters. Then finally on the other side of the bed from her father closest to Lily was a distraught looking Albus and a tense James.

With the ten of them all gathered bustling at her bedside, it felt as though she had woken up at the Burrow on a Christmas morning, rather than in the hospital wing after a long night of bad dreams of the dark mark floating in a cloudy sky.

As soon as they noticed she was awake their chattering ceased and they all surged closer towards her and began talking over one another at her.

'Lily! We were so worried about you!' Rose cried, grabbing Lily's hand. Her eyes were shinning with tears.

'Are you feeling okay?' Molly and Lucy asked almost in unison. Molly was only one and Lucy only two years older than Lily but the sisters both looked upon her now with motherly affection.

'I just can't believe anyone would place a curse on you of all people-' Hugo said as Roxanne shook her head in disbelief.

'You're the talk of the school Lily' Hugo cut in in a hushed voice. 'You're the first person to survive Noirmorter since the breakout began last year-'

'Well if anyone is strong enough and stubborn enough to survive a deadly curse, it would be Lily wouldn't it?' Victoire spoke over him proudly, causing a wave of relief to wash over Lily as the reality of her narrow escape from death hit her. She felt incredibly grateful that she was alive and able to feel the warm support of her many cousins and brothers around her.

Her brothers were unusually silent. Lily was surprised to see how keenly the news of her near-death experience seemed to be effecting them. Albus looked as though she had actually died, his eyes wide and his face pained. James' hand was shaking as he put it on her shoulder and gave her a comforting squeeze.

But nobody looked as anxious as her father did. He ignored the outbreak of cries from her cousins and swiftly bent over her bed to pull her into a tight hug.

'Lils, I'm so glad your alive. I don't know what I would have done if you hadn't have recovered. What were you doing out so late wandering the castle? You must know how dangerous it is. You must realize you need to be careful-'

The words tumbled out of Harry in a great rush of emotion. Between her cousins all crying out to her and her father's waterfall of questions, she hardly had enough space to get a word in.

'I need to talk to you' she managed to murmur into her father's ear as he embraced her.

She wanted to tell him about what had happened as soon as possible, but she didn't feel it would be best to do it in front of her whole family. What if Professor Raleigh decided to curse them all to cover his tracks?

Harry pulled out of their hug to look her gravely in the eyes.

'Alright' he nodded understanding from her tense expression that she wanted their conversation to be a private one.

'I think it's time you lot got to class, don't you?' He looked up and around at the group of children around him.

After a few reluctant mutters, they each hugged Lily one by one and moved off towards the door. Albus and James were the last to go and needed an extra stern look from their father in order for them to get moving.

But before the pair had reached the door Harry called out to Albus.

'Albus- ask Mr Scorpius Malfoy to please come see me here between classes, would you? I need to ask him about the details of what happened'

Lily's stomach turned. She didn't know why but she felt nervous at the idea of her father speaking to and possibly interrogating Scorpius. Perhaps it had something to do with the undertone of austerity in her father's voice.

Albus just nodded, looking a little apprehensive himself. It seemed as though he still thought of Scorpius as someone to be careful of- as the boy who was always studying curses and occasionally even threatening others with them.

Once the room had emptied and Lily was left alone with Harry there was a moment of silence as he looked at her curiously and Lily fiddled with her hands wondering where to begin.

'Are you going to tell me why you were in the Astronomy tower past bedtime?' Harry asked, his eyebrows knitted with concern.

Lily cleared her throat. She didn't want to tell him she had gone looking for Scorpius. For some reason her concern for him felt too personal, even a little embarrassing. She decided instead to tell him part of the truth.

'I saw Professor Raleigh on the Map'

Lily didn't need to explain what map. Her father closed his eyes and his expression stiffened as though he was suddenly regretting his choice of birthday present.

'He was in the tower, alone at night, performing some kind of spell'

The more Lily tried to find the words to explain it, the more her confidence in her ability to communicate the reason behind her suspicions towards him drained from her.

'Performing a spell? Why do you think that?' Harry asked sharply with a frown.

'Because I saw him fiddling with something' Lily said, knowing how unconvincing she sounded but wanting to tell him everything just the same.

'It was as though he were making something- knotting something together'

Harry's expression had hardened but the doubt was already apparent to Lily in his eyes. It made her speak up louder and faster in a desperate attempt to persuade him her speculations were valid.

'He cursed me- I know he did. I think he must have seen me watching him. There was a flash of lightning and I ran and then the next thing I knew I was in pain and couldn't open my mouth and-'

'Lily' Harry cut across her gently.

'The casting of Noirmorter doesn't have anything to do with proximity to the accursed' He explained calmly.

'I know that but-' Lily spluttered.

'And Mr Raleigh would be the last person to cast a dark curse on someone. He is responsible for opening up Durmstrang to muggleborns, he's a champion of equality, not a dark wizard'

Lily fell into a sullen silence. She knew all this- if she had a Knut for the amount of times she'd been told about the Professors great deeds in the north she'd be able to buy herself a Firebolt Supreme.

'I know how you must feel' Harry said suddenly. 'You don't like Mr Raleigh'

Lily was surprised by his frankness.

'But, as I learnt the hard way, just because we don't like someone Lily, doesn't mean they are an enemy' Harry went on.

'But dad, I can feel it. He shouldn't be trusted-' Lily shook her head and appealed to him with wide eyes.

'I felt the same way about Professor Snape for years' Harry said sympathetically. 'But I was wrong'

_But I'm not you_.

Lily thought this to herself but managed to stop herself from voicing it out loud to Harry.

'Evidence is needed to accuse a someone of a crime. Without evidence we are simply acting upon our feelings. And there could be nothing worse than the conviction of an innocent man, don't you agree?'

Harry's eyes shifted between each of hers as he looked carefully at her expression. Lily knew that her father took these words very seriously. He had told her about his godfather Sirius Black, her grandfather's best friend, and how he had died before he could be cleared of the crimes he never committed. This had left a mark on her father perhaps even more permanent and effecting than the lightening bolt scar on his forehead. It had become particularly relevant to his system of beliefs since he had taken on his job as an Auror at the Ministry and had to deal with accusations against wizards and witches on a daily basis.

'Yes dad' Lily mumbled in defeat.

She could not deny the fact that she did not have solid evidence. But she vowed silently to herself that she would find it and bring it to show her father.

They fell into silence as Harry studied her defiant expression with concern. Lily looked up at him and tried to break the tension in the air.

'I have a scar too now' she lifted her bandaged arm up a little with a smirk as though to show it off to him.

'Ah' said Harry with an amused smile at her joviality.

'I would have preferred if you'd stayed scarless and out of trouble' He shook his head with a laugh.

'But now we sort of match' Lily jested happily. 'I wonder what shape mine is?'

She began to pick at the bandaged but Harry quickly put out a hand to stop her.

'Montespan might not appreciate you undoing his work' he said with a small smile on his lips.

'Montespan doesn't appreciate  _anything_ ' Lily teased, continuing to unravel the bandage, 'He's such a grumpy old so-'

' _Lily_ ' Harry cut over her in a stern but amused tone before she said anything that would force him to have to actually attempt some kind of parental discipline- something that he was always reluctant to try, particularly with his daughter.

As the last of the bandage unravelled off her arm, Lily saw that the end of it which had been wound closest to her skin was covered in a mixture of blood and some kind of blue colored potion. She lifted her arm up to inspect the spot where it still felt painful and discovered a long straight cut on her inner upper arm. Scorpius seemed to have made the effort to cut her in a place that could be hidden when her arm was by her side should the wound fail to heal completely.

It certainly was very different from her father's scar- much thicker and in a steady straight line of about three inches.

As Lily and Harry both looked upon it in silence all indication of amusement drained from their faces.

'What I don't understand-' Harry broke the silence, his voice rising tensely.

'-is why Scorpius Malfoy was out in the middle of the night in that tower'

Lily froze, her eyes still on her arm. Was her father really thinking that the person who had saved her might be a suspect?

At first, Lily had been left with a strange feeling of dread by her vision of him with a dark mark. But now that she had had time to consider it she was more than just a little guilty at the thought that her subconscious had managed to produce such a damaging vision of a person who had done nothing but help her.

'Albus told me that he is obsessed with curses-' Harry went on but Lily quickly cut him off.

'He  _saved my life_. Why would he curse me just so he could save my life?'

'Perhaps he got cold feet. Perhaps he became suddenly frightened of the consequences of his actions-'

'That's ridiculous dad' Lily said soberly, taking her eyes away from her arm and looking into her father's.

'That's what happened when his father tried to kill Dumbledore' Harry replied quietly with a shrug, avoiding her gaze.

'Just because we don't like someone doesn't mean they are an enemy' Lily said slowly, repeating back her fathers words to him.

Harry quickly looked back at her. His mouth opened to say something but no words came out. He seemed surprised but also thoughtful at Lily's supposition of prejudice on his behalf.

But before Harry could say whatever it was that was running through his mind, Professor McGonagall and Madame Pomfry appeared to check on Lily's condition.

Madam Pomfry was alarmed to see that Lily had taken off the bandages and looked disapprovingly at Harry for having allowed her to do so. She quickly set about bandaging her up again as the Headmistress questioned Lily in extreme detail about her experience the previous night.

Lily again omitted her meeting with Scorpius on the rooftop and also this time, about her possession of the Marauder's Map, making out that she had simply been wandering the castle in order to explore it as she had often done before. She hoped that the Headmistress would find her account of Professor Raleigh more suspicious than her father had, but was disappointed to find out that she already knew about it.

'Yes, Professor Raleigh told me last night when I went to consult him about your condition that he had seen you sneaking around the tower moments earlier. The Professor was preparing some straw poppets for his seventh year class. They require proximity to a lightening storm to become properly enchanted.'

'What are poppets?' Lily asked confused and taken aback by Professor McGonagall's calm disposition.

'Dolls used in dark magic to place spells upon someone who is not within one's vicinity.' Harry explained, 'They are incredibly difficult and time consuming to make, almost as difficult as becoming an animagus'

'So couldn't he have been using them to cast Noirmorter?' Lily asked. Professor McGonagall shook her head.

'I requested that Professor Raleigh teach the seventh year students all he knows about remote spell casting in order that they might be aware of what kinds of ways there could be to cast a curse such as Noirmorter. I thought it would be best that they know, so that when they graduate, they might be able to contribute to the Ministry's investigation into the cause of Noirmorter.'

'Noirmorter requires that someone scatter a potion into the wind under a full moon' Harry added, 'It wasn't a full moon last night. Whoever cursed you must have done so on the night of the full moon last week. You must have been carrying around the curse since then'

Lily was hit by a sudden bolt of realization; the night of the full moon. That was the night that she and Scorpius had snuck out to see the Centaurs. Could that have something to do with this?

She didn't know for certain and didn't want to risk telling her father and the Headmistress that she had broken a number of school rules and entered the Forbidden forrest just in case it didn't.

Lily was left deep in thought. So Professor Raleigh would not have been able to curse her in retaliation for seeing him with the dolls. In fact, it seemed that the Headmistress had already known about them, so what would be the point in that? Perhaps he had nothing to do with any of it after all. She had been so sure, but now she was filled with doubt.

Just then Albus arrived back from his morning classes. Lily was relieved to see that he was alone.

'Scorpius wasn't in class' he reported to Harry.

'What?' Harry's voice rose an octave and his brows furrowed in suspicion.

'Mr Malfoy came to see me in my office this morning' Professor McGonagall quickly interjected.

'He shall be taking some time off of school due to urgent family matters. I asked him to make a written statement for you Mr Potter'

The headmistress held out a piece of parchment to Harry who slowly took it looking up at her uneasily.

'You're sure he had nothing to do with the curse that was cast on my daughter?' Harry asked.

He trusted McGonagall's judgement, perhaps even more than Lily's.

'If it weren't for Mr Malfoy, you wouldn't have a daughter' the Headmistress replied curtly.

Lily was relieved. The Headmistress knew her students. Despite the rumors and the lack of allies that Scorpius had within the school, she understood what it had taken Lily months of pestering the closed off Malfoy boy to understand; that Scorpius was not like his father had been like in school. That he was true and honest.

'Lysander wasn't in class either' Albus spoke up again, causing all heads to turn to him in surprise.

'He's been standing outside the hospital wing with that ghost friend of yours all morning'

'Ghost friend?' Harry asked perplexed.

'His name's Alasdair' Lily said shortly by way of explanation.

'Ask them to come in for Merlin's sake' she instructed Albus who walked off muttering again, apparently sick of playing the messenger boy all morning.

'Well then I'll be heading back to the Ministry' Harry said giving his daughter another tight hug. 'We'll have all our best investigating this, mark my word'

'Yes dad' Lily said with a restrained smile. She felt a small pang of guilt at the amount of information she had kept from her father; about her condition, the stolen diary pages, the vampires, the centaurs and even about Scorpius.

'I'll escort you out Mr. Potter' the Headmistress said lightly, giving Lily one last knowing look. Lily couldn't be sure but she felt as though Professor McGonagall had a sense that she hadn't told the full story. She had certainly always seemed to know when James had tried to deceive her to cover up his mischief.

Lily felt more at ease once it was just Lysander, Alasdair and Fides by her bedside and they could all discuss the details of her ordeal without the scrutiny of the Ministry or the Headmistress.

Apparently the two boys had hesitated to come in after seeing the swarm of Weasleys and Potters by her bedside in the morning and had since spent their time in deep conversation about the idea of forming a Hetaeria Sodalitas. Fides, for his part, had spent the morning catching up on lost sleep from last night, curled up at the end of Lily's bed.

Lysander, thanks to Lily's narrow escape from death, was now utterly convinced of the necessity of a Sodalitas.

'The person who cursed you-' he said looking more alarmed than Lily had ever seen him.

'They're still out there. And if they want you dead they could try it again'

Though he didn't have an ill meaning bone in his body, Lysander was once again more honest and less aware of social niceties than most. The truth he spoke sent a shudder of fear through Lily.

He was right. And not only was it her life, but the lives of any and all other students who the curser decided to target were at stake.

She could no longer justify not trying anything in her power to stop them.

'What did you see?' Alasdair asked. He had been studying her carefully since they had arrived, allowing Lysander and Lily to do most of the talking.

'What did I  _see_?' Lily feigned confusion. She still felt guilty about the vision she had created in her mind of Scorpius with a dark mark and wasn't sure she wanted others to know how prejudiced her subconscious had been towards him.

'When you hallucinated' Alasdair replied. 'I know you must have- it was the same for me before I died'

'I saw some windy cliffs by the ocean...and some cloaked men' Lily looked him in his silvery transparent eyes.

'What did  _you_  see?'

Alasdair paused.

'I saw a girl' he said simply.

They looked at each other. She knew there must be more. He did too, she could see it in the upturn of his lips.

'Could you pass me my bag?' she asked Lysander, breaking the gaze between them.

He did so and Lily took out the Marauder's Map. It had been deactivated. Scorpius must have done it at some point between healing her and when Montespan and the Headmistress had arrived at the scene. It was yet another thing she was indebted to him for.

Lily asked Lysander to activate it, instructing him on how to do so.

Once he had sworn that he was up to no good and the ink had once again spread across the page, she took it from him quickly and scanned it.

The Headmistress was right. Scorpius was gone, his footsteps nowhere to be seen within the grounds.

Lily let go of the parchment and let it fall down onto the bed with a sigh.

She looked up again to see Alasdair staring at her.

'You were right' Lily said softly.

'We ought to give it a try. If there is any chance it can protect Hogwarts we  _need_  to try'


	35. The trove

Lily tiptoed down the common room staircase as the faint light of dawn brushed the stone steps. It was far too early to be up, especially for a Sunday morning but she was determined that today would be the day she would finally take Lysander to look for the tunnel leading to the shrieking shack as she had promised.

She had hardly been able to spend any time with him in private since the incident. During her time in the hospital wing, she had been visited by an overwhelming number of relatives including her mother, her uncle George and her grandfather and grandmother. Uncle George came bearing a great number of gifts including dungbombs, stinkpellets, luminous balloons, no-heat fireworks and a mysterious glowing green putty which he whispered was for her 'true enemies'. To Lily's dismay however, these were all swiftly confiscated by Ginny upon her arrival.

Of all her guests, her Grandma Molly was by far the loudest and most expressive of her alarm at what had happened to her granddaughter. She whimpered at the sight of her bandaged arm and exclaimed 'What has that Malfoy boy done to her?' to a troubled looking Grandpa Arthur.

Each time the topic came up, Lily had to explain that Fides had gone to fetch Scorpius because he had known he was nearby and knowledgeable about curses and that what Scorpius had done he had done so to save her life. Lily had been surprised by her father's reaction and she continued to be surprised by the negative reactions of all her other relatives to the news that he had been there on the night she was cursed.

Grandma Molly had also been very vocal to James and Albus about her disappointment that they had not kept a better eye on her. Lily had no idea how they were supposed to have saved her from a curse which she herself had not even noticed that she had contracted for over a week, but either way the boys now felt it was their duty to follow Lily around whenever they weren't in classes to ensure that her eyes hadn't gone dim again.

Lily found it incredibly frustrating that now all her brothers and cousins were suddenly treating her as though she were made of glass. It had started with the day she had finally been granted permission from Madame Pomfrey to leave the hospital wing. Though her arm was still bandaged, she had headed straight down to the quidditch pitch where she knew that training was being held, but had arrived to the sound of protest from the entire team.

Well, actually, the entire team bar Poppy.

With all the commotion of the past few days Lily had completely forgotten about the result of the quidditch trials but was brought back to reality upon seeing her posh nemesis standing on the pitch with a sleek new Comet 500. The Comet 500 was the latest edition and a few grades above Lily's own broom.

James had quickly put his arm around Lily's shoulders, steered her away and personally escorted her back to the castle, telling her that as captain he believed it would be best for her to fully heal her arm before their next game. But Lily had responded by berating him for his choice of new chaser.

'Of all the crazy- the irresponsible- choices to make! Why did it have to be her James? Why not Alanna?'

'I had to choose her Lils!' James yelled back exasperated. It seemed like it wasn't the first time he'd had to explain his decision.

'She got the best score in the tryouts! You were there! Weren't you watching?'

Lily folded her arms uncomfortably and avoided James's gaze. It was true she had been rather distracted during that part of the morning. Besides, she'd thought Alanna had had it in the bag.

'Poppy smashed the beater's test! Her overall score went beyond Alanna's, Lils. It was only fair that she was selected'

James was mischievous. He could be big-headed and more often than not created nightmares for his teachers. But he was fair and just to the bone. As his sister, Lily knew that and she knew deep down that if James had chosen Poppy then she must have deserved it. But that didn't mean she was happy about it.

And Lily wasn't the only one.

Alanna Hooch had made it quite apparent that she was no longer talking to her long-time accomplice and Poppy for her part, was making it just as obvious that she did not care. The pair now sat as far away as they could manage during mealtimes and Alanna could often be heard complaining loudly about Poppy having 'gone behind her back' by training for the trials in secret without her to a nervous looking Hazel who didn't want to be on the receiving end of either girl's anger but who, when pushed to do so, took Alanna's side in a heartbeat. Lily could hardly blame her after all the snide comments Poppy had made about her hair ribbon, which she now wore proudly almost in defiance of the recently ostracized Poppy. Lily was just relived that the two strong headed girls's civil war seemed to have completely distracted them from their contempt towards Lily and her abysmal magical abilities.

With that in mind, it was this early Sunday morning when Poppy and Alanna's overt and escalating feud continued to distract the second years and on which the third years and above were scheduled to be at Hogsmeade, that seemed to Lily like the perfect opportunity to sneak away.

Once she was out of the common room and clear of the Fat Lady, Lily walked quickly down the many staircases and past the Great Hall to where Lysander was waiting outside for her at the huge oak front doors.

Without needing to exchange a word, they smiled at each other and Lily opened her bag to take out the map which he swiftly activated for her.

Lily did a scan again to see if Scorpius had returned, but once again his footprints were nowhere to be seen. He had been gone for almost a week and no-one seemed to know why or if he was ever coming back.

'He saved your life' Lysander noted in his dazed voice, nodding at the bandage on her arm.

Lily flushed slightly. Lysander seemed capable of reading her so well. Well enough to pick up on what- or who- she had been searching for.

'He saved my life too' Lysander smiled peacefully and held up the arm that had been devoured by the Atramentous glove that day they had visited Knock-turn Alley.

'Yes' Lily laughed a little in relief as she exhaled. Everyone else seemed so intent on painting Scorpius as an enemy. But Lysander had always been different from everyone else.

'We ought to make friends with him'

Lysander turned and began to walk towards the lawns as though the matter had been settled.

Lily looked after him bemused shaking her head. Lysander had a rather curious way of befriending people. It had seemed like it had also been a very conscious decision- one followed by instant attachment and devotion- when he had sought out and befriended Lily all those months ago.

'If he ever comes back then perhaps we should' Lily agreed jogging to catch up with him.

They made their way across the lawns towards the whomping willow. The grass beneath their feet was cold and wet from the morning dew, but it was a comparatively warm autumn day. Lily felt freer than she had in a while, walking in the morning sun with Lysander.

Once the huge tree came within their line of vision however, Lily began to feel a little nervous. The map clearly showed (as Ron's list had indicated) that there was a tunnel from the willow's base leading all the way towards Hogsmeade, but Lily had never heard of anyone successfully dodging the swinging branches long enough to be able to reach the trunk- though the only person she knew who'd been silly enough to try was James.

Lysander and Lily stoped just out of reach of the branches and watched as the enormous tree swung lazily in the wind.

In a flash of brown and white a flock of sparrows flew past and suddenly the willow lashed out hitting down one which had strayed too close. The tiny bird was flung to the ground and landed stone dead at Lysander's feet.

A shiver ran down Lily's spine and she looked over at Lysander who had bent down to pick up the poor creature.

To Lily's surprise after closing his eyes and wishing the bird a peaceful rest, Lysander slid the dead bird into his coat pocket.

Lily raised an eyebrow at him.

'You never know when you might need something to feed a Clabbert' He explained earnestly.

'Right' Lily mumbled. 'I don't fancy becoming Clabbert breakfast myself though, so perhaps we ought to give up whilst we're ahead'

'No it's okay, I came prepared' Lysander said calmly taking a rock out of the same pocket. Lily wondered vaguely whether Lysander had placed an Extension Charm on his pocket as it always seemed to be full of an illogical amount of curiosities.

'What are we going to do with-' Lily had began to ask. But before she could finish Lysander raised his fist up high and pelted the rock towards the tree.

With incredible force and accuracy the rock hit a knot in the tree trunk and suddenly the whomping willows branches came to a halt.

It's leaves blew eerily in the soft wind in great contrast to the branches which were now completely frozen still. As Lily looked the tree up and down in disbelief, Lysander stepped serenely towards the trunk without even a flicker hesitation.

'How'd you know that would happen?' Lily asked impressed as she hurried after him.

'My mum took us to a whomping willow forrest two summers ago' he explained as he pushed the fallen autumn leaves that had gathered around the roots at the base of the trunk away searching for the tunnel entrance.

'Lorcan and I got really good at throwing rocks that summer' he added nostalgically.

'An important skill for any child to have I'm sure' Lily smirked.

'Aha!' Lysander's hand fell through a section of the fallen leaves. He had found the opening.

He quickly stuck his other hand in too and then his head and wiggled forward until he had completely disappeared underground. Lily, who was much smaller, was able to slide in swiftly after him and tumble down a dirt slope into an earthy tunnel below.

The tunnel was not large enough for the pair to stand up and so they progressed bent-backed- particularly Lysander who was rather tall and lanky for his age.

The tunnel rose and twisted but Lily and Lysander continued on through the dark. Lily supposed that if it had been Scorpius who had accompanied her he might have used the Lumos charm to light their way but Lysander seemed to rather like the dark and it didn't bother Lily much either so they pushed on blindly, feeling their way with their hands on the earthy walls.

Finally they could see a patch of light through a small opening up ahead.

Once they had reached it Lysander pulled himself up and out before extending his long skinny arm out to Lily and helping her up.

After a few moments of heaving and brushing dirt from their hair, they looked around at the very disordered, dusty room that they now found themselves in.

Paper was peeling from the walls; there were stains all over the floor; every piece of furniture was broken as though somebody had smashed it. The windows were all boarded up.

'It's fabulous' Lysander gushed.

'It's certainly…something' Lily muttered, looking at the claw marks in the wooden floor with a furrowed brow.

Lysander immediately got up and began to investigate every crook and cranny as he had done when they had visited Scorpius's father's shop in Knockturn alley. Only this time Lily made sure to keep a better eye on him for fear he'd find something deadly to stick his arm into again.

Luckily the room was rather sparse with regards to furnishings. There was a broken mirror above an empty fireplace; a bed whose sheets and quilt had been badly shredded; and a lonely broken stool.

Lysander inspected them all as though they were precious artifacts.

'Looks like there's been a werewolf here' he noted, holding up the stool and looking over the scratches in it.

'What?' Lily said in alarm. First vampires, now werewolves? Was she going to come across every dark magical humanoid before she graduated? It wasn't a bucket list that she felt the need to tick off.

'Some time ago it looks like' Lysander said sounding disappointed. He put the stool down and went over to the bed to study the tears in the linen.

'My uncle Ron, aunt Hermione and my dad must have come here. It was on their list after all. But why?'

Apart from the sheer messiness of the place, there didn't seem to be anything remarkable about the small room. Then it hit her.

'Werewolf!' She exclaimed suddenly, causing Lysander to turn around hopefully in search of one.

'Teddy's father!' Lily yelled at a confused Lysander.

'My father said he saw Professor Lupin turn into a werewolf when he first met Sirius Black… at the Marauder's hideout!'

But Lysander was still looking at Lily with a muddled expression as though she'd given him a riddle to figure out.

Lily quickly took out the map and explained about its creators and everything her father had told her about them.

'So we're at the hideout of your grandfather's gang of friends… who all- bar Professor Lupin- managed to become animagi during their time at Hogwarts?' Lysander clarified thoughtfully.

Lily nodded energetically, enthusiastic about their discovery.

'I thought I could smell mandrake leaves!' Lysander exclaimed excitedly.

It was Lily's turn to be confused.

'Er- What?'

Her elated expression turned into a frown as she watched Lysander get on all fours and begin to sniff the floorboards.

'…are you okay?' she asked hesitantly.

This was quite possibly the oddest thing she'd seen him do, and she'd witnessed a lot of odd behavior from her best friend.

Lysander stopped suddenly with his nose above one of the floorboards and raised his wand.

'Alarte Ascendare!' He yelled.

One of the floorboards flew up high into the air and fell back down with a clatter.

A wide smile appeared on Lysander's lips as he peered down into the hole in the floor he had just created.

'Lily, look!' He yelled back at her with glee.

'It's everything we'll need!'

Lily quickly shuffled over to see what he was looking at.

Inside the opening in the floorboards was a trove of potions ingredients; including the mandrake leaves that Lysander had smelt on the stuffy air of the small room.

There was also a great number of different roots, vials of strange liquids and even a large enchanted jar containing fluttering moths whose wings were eerily market with skull-like patterns.

'Everything we'll need…?' Lily repeated slowly back to Lysander as the realisation of what she was looking at trickled slowly to the front of her mind.

'Everything we'll need to become animagi' Lysander confirmed, his protuberant silvery eyes gazing excitedly into Lily's.


	36. The Maledictus

It was a sunny autumn day and Lily was lazily leaning with her back up against the trunk of the tree she had scaled, her legs stretched out along the large branch she sat on with Fides.

Fides quite liked to climb all manner of things, including trees and furniture and seemed to enjoy being in high places. It was something Lily, who adored flying, felt she had in common, and so in a sign of solidarity, she had begun to join him.

This tree was their unspoken favourite. Being situated, as it was, on the shores of the lake, it had a wonderful view of the grounds. The view was so terribly distracting that the charms book Lily had taken up with her to read remained firmly on her lap as she stared out and thought back on the eventful past few days.

After their morning in the shrieking shack, Lysander and Lily had reported their findings to Alasdair and Fides, the former of which was very enthusiastic about the idea that they would finally be able to start attempting the long, arduous process to become animagi.

It turned out however that the process was not as simple as just using all the right materials in the right order.

Lysander had read several books on the subject and Alasdair too seemed incredibly knowledgeable about it. They had deliberated over a piece of parchment on which Lysander was scribing down a detailed schedule about when it would be best to attempt to begin. It depended not only on the moon and the weather but also, most importantly, on when the Death's-head Hawk Moths they had found in the enchanted jar would mate and deposit their eggs.

They also needed to make sure they would be able to obtain dew from the lawns so attempting to do it whilst the grounds were covered in snow or else in the heat of summer would not be viable.

In the end, Lysander decided it would be best if he spent some more time going over the finer details of the schedule and perfecting it before they met up again to begin the process.

This left Lily with little to do but wait. She filled the time by studying (or attempting to). She was determined that she would not end this year with exam results as abysmal as her first year.

Lily had finally managed to tear her eyes away from the view, open up her charms book and was absorbed in a passage about the Baubillious charm when Fides began to nudge at her foot with his snout to get her attention.

'Hey- it's the person you've been looking for' he meowed lazily.

'The wh-' Lily began to say but gasped when realization dawned on her. She almost fell off the branch in her haste to look down at where Fides was indicating with a swish of his furry head.

Underneath the tree, sitting crouched over was the familiar white-blonde head of Scorpius.

He didn't seem to have realised that she was sitting up in the tree just above him. Lily made to yell out to him but quickly stopped herself as she realized something was wrong.

His shoulders were shaking and she could hear him breathing more deeply than usual.

She realised with a jolt of surprise that he was crying.

It began silently but soon she could hear his normally soft and emotionless voice coming out in loud heartbreaking sobs.

Lily froze unsure of what to do. She'd never seen Scorpius like this.

She felt guilty for having witnessed such a private, vulnerable moment and couldn't find the heart to call out to him. And yet she wanted to comfort him.

Lily slowly shrunk backwards towards the trunk behind her, hoping that if he did look up she wouldn't be visible.

For a few moments she listened to his sad sobs with her eyes closed and made up her mind to wait as long as it took for him to gather himself and leave so that she didn't intrude.

But Lily's eyes snapped open again at the sickening sound of Carrow's steady, low voice.

'Upset mummy's gone are we Malfoy?'

Scorpius choked mid-sob and his heaving shoulders froze. Very slowly he lifted his tearstained face and looked apathetically towards Carrow.

'Not today Carrow- just leave me alone'

His voice had no life to it. There was no fight in him.

But that didn't seem to bother Carrow.

'She deserved it you know. She married a traitor. And now there is one less Malfoy for the world to have to worry about'

Scorpius shook his head, his eyes blank. It seemed as though his grief had completely drained him of any energy to argue.

'A blood curse is nothing' Carrow continued through clenched teeth.

'It's  _nothing_  compared to what my mother is going through in Azkaban because of your family'

As he spoke, Carrow's voice rose. It was not his usual snide tone. It was raw with anger and loathing.

' _Not today_  Carrow!' Scorpius hissed, some annoyance finally showing up in his voice.

This seemed to set off something within Carrow and he snapped, lunging towards Scorpius and grabbing him by the collar, his wand raised.

The tip of his wand was within inches of Scorpius's left eye and his expression made it plain that he was edging to use it to hurt him.

Without any hesitation, Scorpius pushed him forcefully off with a thrust of his palms on his chest and an apathetic stare.

'Get lost, before I use the Cruciatus Curse on you'

Lily could tell that Scorpius's heart wasn't in the threat. He just seemed tired and defeated.

'You think I'm going to fall for that again Malfoy?' Carrow snorted as he regained his balance and slowly lifted his wand again.

'We're not in first year anymore. I'm not going to believe your stupid lies. Your grandfather never taught you that curse did he?'

Scorpius just glared back at him, silently considering what to do next.

Carrow let out another loud bark of laughter.

'You  _don't even have your wand with you_ , do you?' he shouted with glee, raising his own wand higher.

Lily's chest tightened with fear at the realization that he was right- Scorpius wasn't wearing his robes and his wand couldn't be seen sticking out of any of his pockets.

But Scorpius just exhaled in defeat and looked away, seemingly resigned to his defenseless state.

Carrow's eyes sparkled with joy for a few moments. It seemed like he had been waiting for this kind of chance for some time. His face scrunched up into an expression of pure hatred and disgust and he opened his mouth to scream;

'Confri-!'

But before he could finish his inaction, Lily plunged out of the tree and landed on her feet with a thud a few feet in front of him. Carrow stumbled backwards instinctively in surprise.

Without waiting a beat Lily raised both her hands- one with her wand clutched in it- and furiously yelled the first spell that came to her mind.

'Baubillious!'

A jet of white sparks shot out at Carrow. But not from Lily's wand. Rather, they seemed to come bursting out of her outstretched fingertips.

They hit Carrow in the chest, sending him flying backwards and landing in a heap on the ground. His wand flew out of his grip and fell a few meters away.

Lily dropped her own wand in surprise and looked at her hands in wonder.

But she didn't have time to reflect on how she had just done what she had. Carrow, whose shirt was singed and had holes in several places from the sparks, was scrambling to get up and get to his wand. Lily rushed forward and got to it just moments before him.

Carrow lunged towards her but she quickly sidestepped him.

'Give it back Potter' He hissed menacingly.

'Go get it then' She said defiantly and pelted it towards the lake. It landed with soft plop into the water.

Carrow let out a long gargling sound of frustration and anger before hurriedly plunging into the lake and wading forward to retrieve it.

Lily took the opportunity to collect her own wand and a very stunned looking Scorpius.

'Come on' She urged him, marching away as quickly as she could from the lake toward's Hagrid's hut. She figured that Carrow- if he ever found his wand and came after them- wouldn't be game enough to attack them at a professors house.

Fides pushed Lily's bag out of the tree with a nudge of his head before scampering down the tree trunk himself. She swooped down with one hand to grab it as she walked past.

Lily was relieved to hear Scorpius's footsteps following along behind her. After a while Hagrid's hut came into view and she could see that he was outside doing some gardening in his pumpkin patch, his huge hands covered in soil.

''Ello Lily' He boomed in surprise, looking from her to the tear stained face of Scorpius.

'Could we please borrow your lounge room for a bit Hagrid?' Lily asked. Hagrid looked like he had a lot of questions he wanted to ask, but he seemed to sense from Lily's grave face that now was not the best time.

'Corse you can love' He replied somewhat tentatively.

Lily nodded in appreciation and quickly opened the door and ushered a hesitant Scorpius in.

She motioned for him to sit down on one of the plump armchairs as though it were her own home and began to open the cupboards in the kitchen and put a pot to the boil on the stove.

She returned to Scorpius with two mugs of milky tea and put one down in front of him. He looked rather surprised but grateful as he slowly took it from the small table in front of him.

Lily sat down, brought her knees up comfortably to her chest and rested her own mug on them waiting for it to cool. There were a few moments of silence in which all that could be heard was the sound of Lily blowing on her tea.

She couldn't think of what to say. Scorpius was watching her curiously. But he seemed drained somehow, his eyes were still swollen.

'I'm sorry to hear that your mother died' Lily said very quietly. She wasn't sure that it was the right thing to say and she watched Scorpius very carefully, worried that she might cause further hurt.

Scorpius's eyes clouded over and his face went blank.

'She's not dead… she just..flew away' He whispered.

'Oh…' Lily breathed, unable to keep the confusion from her face.

'She- she had a blood curse' Scorpius swallowed hard.

'It made her turn into a hawk and she stopped being able to turn back. She lost her humanity and everything that went with it, including I guess, her memories of us'

Lily was even less sure of what to say now. The closest she'd come to comforting someone over the loss of a family member was Teddy on the anniversary of his parent's death. But this was a very different kind of loss, one that not many people would be able to comprehend.

'She liked flying too. Like you' Scorpius said suddenly, breaking the silence for her.

'It was the one part of the curse that she was thankful for. Every curse has a silver lining, that's what she always used to say'

A faint smile had found its way to Scorpius's lips. Lily realized that she now looked even more distraught than he and he was trying to alleviate her concern.

She quickly got herself together and forced the pained look off of her face.

'All that time in the Library-,' Lily realized with a jolt. 'You were looking for a cure?'

Scorpius looked away uncomfortably and let out a wry laugh.

'Seems ridiculous now, doesn't it?' He muttered.

'No it doesn't-' Lily said quickly.

'Two years of learning about the worst kinds of curses all for nothing-' He shook his head ruefully.

'I know it might not be very important to you right now-' Lily's voice grew louder and more passionate.

'- but all that knowledge you gained about curses saved my life. And that's very important to  _me_.'

Scorpius looked at her in stunned silence.

Lily flushed under his gaze, embarrassed but glad all the same that she had finally managed to convey her gratitude.

'That night- you looked really bad. You were thrashing around on the ground and sort of screaming something, only you couldn't open your mouth so it was muffled' Scorpius swallowed hard, his face pale.

'But it sort of sounded like... my name' he finished looking at Lily curiously.

Lily quickly diverted her eyes. How could she tell him that at the very moment he'd been trying to save her life, she had been hallucinating that he had fallen to the Dark Lord?

'I tried to wake you up- I called to you' Scorpius went on. 'But it was useless. I couldn't wake you and I couldn't get your mouth open to get the wiggenweld in'

So the voice on the wind that she had heard calling to her had been Scorpius. Lily shivered, thankful once again that she was still alive.

'After that, I thought there was nothing I could do and you were going to die right in front of me.' Scorpius looked pained at the memory of it.

'But you did find a way. Quite a clever way according to Professor Montespan' Lily said with a small smile.

Scorpius nodded away the compliment, but he looked quietly pleased.

'Did your arm heal?' he asked.

Lily shook her head.

'There's a scar, but I'm not fussed about that if it means I don't have to start throwing my own deathday parties'

Scorpius snorted. This time it was a laugh of mirth and Lily was pleased to hear it.

'Carrow's probably thinking the same thing after you blasted him' Scorpius smirked.

Lily's face darkened at the memory of Carrow's tirade against Scorpius.

'That filthy, rotten dungbomb of a wizard- who does he think he is going around tormenting people over their family misfortunes?' Lily exclaimed angrily.

'My father and grandfather testified against his mother and uncle after the war' Scorpius muttered.

'He's hated me from even before we met'

'Well that's completely unjustified' Lily said indignantly 'You're not the one who testified and even if you  _were_ , it's not like they wouldn't be in Azkaban either way- there're dozens of students who witnessed their crimes when they took over Hogwarts'

'Yes, well Carrow doesn't see it that way' Scorpius sighed. 'And I did threaten to curse him a few times to get him off my back so I guess that didn't help…'

Scorpius was smirking now, not a sign of remorse on his face.

'You know what I don't understand-' Lily wondered out loud.

'-how is it that Carrow is the same age as you and yet his mother was put into Azkaban right after the war? When did she- well, you know?'

'Would you like to go back and ask him?' Scorpius's smirk broke into a laugh.

Lily found herself unable to keep a straight face too.

'All the other students in my year, they say his father must have been in Azkaban with her but nobody knows who he is- not game enough to ask him either' Scorpius explained between chuckles.

They fell into a comfortable silence again and Lily sipped at her tea, glad to see some colour in Scorpius's pale face again.

'Your friend has been following me around' Scorpius commented after a while.

'Lysander?' Lily smiled.

'Yeah. Ever since I got back he's been talking to me all the time'

Apparently having someone try to start up a conversation with him was an unusual experience for Scorpius.

'He wants to be your friend' Lily explained, laughing at Scorpius' bewilderment.

'ah…' Scorpius's face went dark again. 'That's not a good idea'

'Why not?' Lily asked sharply.

'I had a friend once. In first year. His mother was French too so we sort of got along'

Lily, not having known that his mother was French, nodded along.

'But then Carrow went after him. Tormented him every day, just for being around me'

'So he stopped being your friend?' Lily asked scandalized.

'No. He transferred to Beauxbatons. Can't blame him really'

'Did  _you_  never think about going to Beauxbatons?' Lily asked curiously.

If Carrow had been such a thorn in Scorpius's side as to isolate him from everyone, Lily could see how he might have wanted to get away.

'My father wanted me to go to Durmstrang originally' Scorpius replied. 'Was worried about how I'd be treated here. But I didn't want to go so far away- not whilst my mother was unwell'

Lily nodded again numbly. She hadn't realized just how hard it had been for Scorpius to be at Hogwarts. She'd always thought that he'd preferred being alone but now it seemed that it wasn't simply a matter of preference.

'Perhaps I should change schools now though' Scorpius muttered ruefully.

'Don't do that' Lily said forcefully.

Scorpius looked back at her in surprise.

'Not because of stupid Carrow- I can handle him' Lily proclaimed boldly.

Scorpius laughed.

'Yes I can see that' His eyes sparkled with glee as he considered her.

Suddenly there was a loud bang of wood hitting stone as Hagrid burst in through the door.

Lily and Scorpius both looked over wide-eyed at Hagrid's abrupt entrance.

'He aint' trying to curse you is 'e?' Hagrid boomed with concern as though the thought had only just occurred to him that leaving Lily alone with the boy who had been there the night she had almost died from Noirmoter was not a good idea.

'No Hagrid, of course not!' Lily shot back surprised.

'Oh'

An obvious wave of relief washed over Hagrid and his shoulders loosened.

'I've no interest in curses anymore' Scorpius said flatly. He placed his mug down on the table and quickly made to leave.

'Thank you for the tea' He added to a bewildered Hagrid before disappearing out the door and back up towards the castle.


	37. The Duel Begins

It appeared that Scorpius truly was no longer interested in curses.

Or study of any kind for that matter.

He did not return to the small table behind the restricted section, though Lily continued to go there to study of an evening.

Lysander told Lily that he often missed classes too. Lily was worried that after years of searching for a cure for his mother's blood curse, loosing her had left him without any motivation at all.

The only time that Lily saw him was from afar during meals in the Great Hall. He would sit alone at the end of the Hufflepuff table picking at his food.

Occasionally, Lysander would make faces at him from the Ravenclaw table, but he only succeeded once in getting a small smirk onto his face before he went gloomily back to stabbing at his peas again.

During one such lunchtime, Lily was surprised to see Professor Montespan march into the hall. As the professor seemed to spend as much time as possible away from the students and alone eating in his office, it was a rare sight.

But he wasn't there to get some soup and pie. He marched straight over to the Hufflepuff table and stood towering over Scorpius who seemed to be pretending he hadn't noticed that he was there. This was terribly unconvincing as the entire Hufflepuff table had gone silent and all eyes were watching them.

'Mr Malfoy, you have failed to attend my classes three weeks in a row' Professor Montespan said disapprovingly attempting to get Scorpius to acknowledge his presence.

But Scorpius ignored him and continued to push his food around the plate apathetically.

'To my office, now!' Montespan bellowed in frustration.

The Headmistress stood up with a conflicted look on her face but didn't make a move towards them. She seemed to be internally debating whether it would be best to step in and prevent Montespan from berating a grieving student or whether non-attendance to class for three weeks was justifiably punishable.

'But it's eating hours professor' Scorpius drawled with a smirk, still looking down at his plate and making fork dents in his mash potato.

'No consultations during eating hours, remember?'

Montespan narrowed his eyes before suddenly grabbing Scorpius by the cuff of his robes and forcing him to turn to face him.

'Fine- we can do it here then' Montespan hissed.

Scorpius glared at him with a dark look.

'You have a lot of talent boy' the professor growled angrily.

They were not the words that anyone had expected him to say in such an angry state and a scattering of whispers could be heard as dozens of students looked around at each other in surprise.

'More talent and knowledge and the _potential_  for hard work than any of the healing apprentices at St Mungo's I've ever seen' Montespan went on loudly, seeming to decide he'd let the whole hall hear it.

'So I don't need to go to class then' Scorpius retorted sarcastically.

Montespan grabbed the fork out of Scorpius hand, turned it upside down and stabbed it into the table with a loud thud. There was a shocked silence as the sound of metal vibrating reverberated around the hall.

'Professor Montespan!' the headmistress exclaimed and picked up her skirts so that she could rush over to them.

'If you waste this boy, you'll be  _nothing_! You hear me?' Montespan roared.

'You could save lives! You could heal the sick! You could make a _real change_  in the world with the amount that you've learnt and picked up at your age!'

The entire hall was watching the professor's outburst now with open mouths.

'But if you don't  _get up off your ass_  and  _do the rest of the work_ , then you'll fall behind! It takes  _decades_  of study and training to become a truly competent healer and you'll never bloody manage it without my help!'

'I never said I wanted to be-' Scorpius began to say quietly but Montespan wouldn't let him finish.

'-I don't know what your plans are for the rest of your life, but if all you've got is being a sulky little sod then Merlin help me if with  _that_  attitude you don't end up in BLOODY AZKABAN!'

He finished with a dramatic wave of his arms and turned on his heal to march off in a huff before the Headmistress could get to him.

'Professor Montespan! Professor-! We DO NOT threaten the students with the cutlery!' she yelled as she hurried after him.

Scorpius sat in stunned silence for a few moments before gathering his belongings and getting away from the hall and out from under everyone's gaze.

 

A few days later, Lily could not keep the smirk off of her face when Scorpius showed up to the library with a pile of healing textbooks.

He glanced at her with a grumpy look, warning her not to comment on it but Lily couldn't help herself.

'I'm beginning to like Professor Montespan' she said loudly with feigned innocence.

'Perhaps you'd like to read some of these then' Scorpius said with annoyance, shoving a few of the books in Lily's direction.

Lily picked them up and studied the covers;  _The Healing Techniques of Hags_ ,  _Potions by Pukwudgies_ ,  _The Merpeople and their Medicines_ ,  _Cures Inspired by Centaurs_.

Underneath each title was the name 'Galen Montespan'.

'Professor Montespan wrote these?'

Scorpius nodded voicelessly, already absorbed in one of the other books.

'He seems to have been very interested in the healing magic of magical peoples' Lily said flicking through  _Cures Inspired by Centaurs_  with interest.

'Yes, that's what he was famous for. It's also what he lost his healing license for, so I suppose it was a bit of a double edged sword…' Scorpius mumbled.

'What do you mean? I thought he lost his healing license for using unregulated remedies on witches and wizards?' Lily said with a frown.

'He did. He used an unregulated healing potion on a family of witches and wizards which he had learnt from the Pukwudgies of America' Scorpius explained.

'But- what happened to them? Did the family die?' Lily asked in a hushed voice.

'No, they were healed. He saved their lives' Scorpius said lightly.

'What? Then what's the problem?' Lily said aghast.

'The problem was that it hadn't been cleared by the Ministry yet' Scorpius replied.

'The Ministry classifies all healing magic into three categories; regulated, unregulated and forbidden-' He went on, leaning forward a little now in his eagerness to explain.

'If Montespan had used  _forbidden_  magic he would be in Azkaban. If he had used  _regulated_  magic, he would still be a licensed healer. But he used  _unregulated_  magic, or in other words, magic which the Ministry hasn't had time to investigate and put into the regulated or forbidden categories yet. Regular witches and wizards might be able to get away with it but Healers need to adhere to a strict code of using only approved spells and potions. So Montespan lost his license and on top of that his books were banned to prevent anyone else doing the same thing'

'Montespan was right- you  _are_  knowledgeable about all this' Lily remarked, impressed.

Scorpius shrugged.

'He's started giving me lessons between classes. I guess he felt the best place to start was by teaching me what had caused him to fail'

'He gave up his entire career to heal those people… if that isn't the definition of a successful Healer then I don't know what is' Lily reflected sadly.

Scorpius nodded in agreement and the pair fell into silence.

'So you've decided to be a healer then?' Lily said cheerfully, trying to lighten the mood.

'I'll give it a try I guess- got nothing better to do' Scorpius muttered with an apathetic expression.

Lily tutted.

'With  _that_ attitude you'll end up in Azkaban Mr Malfoy' she said mimicking Montespan's outraged voice with a grin.

Scorpius rolled his eyes but Lily could see the corners of his mouth twitching upward.

'What're you going to do then?' he shot at her in an obvious attempt to change the subject.

'What do you mean?' Lily asked, taken aback.

'You know- in the future. What do you want to  _be_?'

'Oh' Lily said glumly. Truth be told, she didn't like to be reminded of the topic. Whether or not she would be able to successfully assimilate into the adult wizarding society once she had graduated from Hogwarts had been bothering her for some time, ever since she had first been called a squib.

But she had thought about it. And there seemed to be only one option available to her.

'I guess I'd like to play Quidditch- like my mum does. It's sort of the only thing I'm good at' Lily shrugged, all of her earlier snark and confidence drained from her voice.

'But is that what you  _want_  to do?' Scorpius asked with a frown.

'Yeah… and well, I mean, I can't really think of many other options' Lily conceded.

Scorpius considered her for a moment.

'You could do other things' he said gently.

Lily nodded just trying to end the conversation before he began to feel sorry for her.

'You could do this for example' he said as though an idea had just come to him. He started rifling through his bag in search of something and within a few moments had taken out a badly crinkled piece of parchment.

He spread it out on the table in front of her.

'Oh Merlin' Lily sighed at the sight of it.

'Not that tournament that James has been raving about'

She had seen this particular notice being circulated around amongst James, Johnathan and many of the other Gryffindor boys. It was an advertisement for the school-wide dueling tournament that Professor Raleigh was organizing and Lily knew the details well as they had been the only thing on her brother's lips for the past few weeks.

'Are you going to enter?' Scorpius asked curiously.

'Are you making fun of me?' Lily shot back incredulously.

'I can't even use my wand! I'd be out of the competition faster than a snitch flying down wind'

'You did a good job taking out Carrow the other day- and you didn't use your wand for that' Scorpius pointed out.

'I caught him by surprise Scorpius! It was hardly a duel!' she scoffed.

'You used wandless magic Lily- do you have any idea how incredible that is?' Scorpius looked her in the eyes, shaking his head in awe.

Lily flushed.

'Wandless or not, it was a fluke' she retorted firmly.

Secretly however, she was rather pleased about the compliment. It had been a long time since she'd received encouragement for anything that hadn't been about Quidditch.

'Well that's a shame' Scorpius sighed leaning back in his chair in defeat.

'I was hoping you'd give Carrow a good blasting again'

'Don't worry' Lily said laughing at his ill intentions, 'I'm sure James will do that for you'

 

When Lily returned to the common room James was sitting on one of the large armchairs with a great number of Gryffindor boys gathered around him. His legs were crossed and he held his head high in a rather kingly manner.

'Did you hear James?' Bertie Brocklehurst was saying excitedly, 'If you win you'll be going to Beauxbatons to participate in the inter-school championships next year! I heard Professor Raleigh talking about it!'

'You mean  _when_  I win' James said with a smirk, twirling his wand confidently between his fingers.

'You're sure you'll win?' Johnathan laughed at his friend, 'I hear Sally MacDougal will be entering too and she's meant to be quite good'

'And Lucy-' Albus cut in with a frown. He was standing a few feet back from the rest of the boys and looked very disapproving of James' cockiness.

'Ah' said James with a self-assured smile, 'But does Sally and our dear cousin have a secret weapon?'

'You've got a secret weapon?' Thomas asked wide-eyed, just as James had hoped he would.

Albus rolled his eyes.

'James-' he began to say with a note of warning in his voice, but his brother ignored him.

James held out the wand he had been twirling for the other boys to see.

'This-' he paused dramatically looking around at the boys' faces '-is my father's wand'

' _Harry Potter's_  wand?' Bertie exclaimed which had the effect of making James' smirk grow wider.

'The wand that took down Voldemort…' Johnathan said under his breath in surprise.

Apparently James had successfully kept the secret from even his best friend up until this point. But now, in his excitement about the tournament, he had let his pride get the best of him.

The boys crowded in closer and each took turns in looking over James's new Phoenix feather core wand.

Once the commotion had died down and the boys had gone to bed Albus and Lily rounded on him.

'What did you go and tell everyone that for?' Albus demanded.

'Why not?' James said happily, 'It'll make for an even better story when I win'

'Everyone in Gryffindor will know now James' Lily said steadily shaking her head 'According to the rules of the tournament, there are only twenty bouts and you need to be challenged by the winner of a bout to be able to participate.'

'So?' said James indifferently.

' _So_  not all the entrants will get to duel! And no one is going to challenge you if they know you have a powerful wand!' Lily said exasperated.

'Yes they will' James said cheerfully.

'Now that they all know I have a good chance of winning for Gryffindor, I'll ask all of the Gryffindors to promise to challenge me if they get the chance'

So that's why he'd done it; to ensure he had better odds of being in the competition. Trust James to know just how to charm everyone onto his side, Lily thought skeptically.

'Well  _I_  won't' Albus said with a disgusted look.

'Oh come on Albus!' James laughed. 'Better to have me win than some snarky Slytherin! It'll be one hundred points to whatever house the victor is from!'

Albus was silent for a moment, thinking hard.

'Alright then- If I get the chance, I'll challenge you' he said finally making James's face burst into a victorious smile.

'But only-' Albus added quickly '-on the condition that you challenge me if you get into the competition before me'

'Yes yes, whatever you like' James brushed him off gleefully.

 

The week which lead up to the weekend of the dueling tournament proved challenging for Lily. All she wanted to do was prepare for their first Quidditch match of the season, which would be exactly one week after the dueling tournament, but this was difficult when their captain was so utterly distracted.

James had been practicing his dueling techniques with Johnathan all week long and didn't stop to participate in Quidditch practice which greatly irked Albus.

'He's meant to be the Captain!' Albus growled to a sympathetic Lily after another evening of practice in which Albus was forced to be the intermediary in Lily and Poppy's disagreements about Chaser strategies.

Lily was finding it incredibly hard to see eye to eye with Poppy long enough for them to be able to work together and score a goal. But it was even worse when James wasn't there to be the voice of authority.

'Well it will be all over after this weekend at least' Lily said, trying to stay positive.

The first round of ten duels would take place in the hall on Saturday, to be followed by a second and final round of ten duels on Sunday. When the weekend finally arrived, the Great Hall was set up with the help of the entire board of staff; even Hagrid was there with his temperamental wand trying to get some decorative banners to stay floating in the air. A long, thin stage where the duelers would fight was placed in the middle and stands- much like the ones surrounding the Quidditch pitch- were set up lined against the walls on either side.

Lily took a seat next to Lysander on the stands as the hall filled with excited students. Those who had entered and were keen to be challenged to a duel did not climb up the stands but rather milled towards the edge of the stage, in the hope that being within the duelers direct line of vision would give them a better chance of being selected.

As the official organizer and judge Professor Raleigh sat in a very high wooden chair which towered over the stage at the centre of the hall. The sight of him in such a domineering position sent a shiver down Lily's spine.

He cleared his throat, called for everyone's attention and began to read out the rules from a roll of parchment.

'The first dueler shall be decided through a drawing of lots. Thereafter, that dueler shall challenge one other student to a duel. The winner of that duel shall then challenge another student and so on until twenty bouts have been fought and we are left with one victor'

Lily could see James with a look of determination on his face down in the fray of students eagerly edging closer towards the stage.

'The winner of a duel will be decided in one of two ways; either the losing dueler admits defeat by stepping off the stage or they are physically subdued by their opponent to a point wherein there can be no doubt that they are no longer able to fight back'

So all those stunning spells James had been mouthing to himself during breakfast should probably come in handy then Lily though wryly.

'In the latter case the judge shall call an end to the duel' The Professor finished, rolling up the parchment. With a flick of his wand he then levitated a silver goblet towards him which appeared to carry a number of pieces of parchments with the entrants names on them.

As he reached inside the goblet, the hall went silent in anticipation. He picked out a folded up piece of parchment, unfolded it and read;

'Lucy Weasley!'

The Ravenclaws burst into applause for their favorite. Lily saw her red-haired her cousin make her way up the steps to the side of the stage and into it's centre, below Professor Raleigh.

'Choose your opponent Miss Weasley' the Professor directed.

Lucy scanned the room, thinking her choice over silently. After a few moments she said;

'Miss Sally MacDougal, if you please Sir'

The Slytherins cheered as whispers of excitement broke out amongst the other houses. The competition had only just started and already two of the favorites were about to battle it out.


	38. The Coveted Wand

Lucy Weasley was highly regarded by Professor Flitwick as quite the charmswoman and she certainly proved herself just that in her duel with Sally MacDougal.

The girls began by holding their wands up in front of their faces before bowing to each other. They then turned so that their backs were facing one other and strode five paces forward before Professor Raleigh counted down from three and they spun around to face each other.

Lucy was faster and managed to send an immobulus charm flying straight towards Sally's chest. Just in the nick of time Sally was able to cast it off with a shield charm, but she stumbled backwards in her haste and lost her footing in the process.

Lucy closed in on her, raised her wand and exclaimed 'Expelliarmus!', just as Sally thrust her wand forward from her position on the ground and yelled 'Confundo!'.

The girls' spells hit each other in unison. Sally's wand flew out from her hand towards Lucy but Lucy, who was left stumbling around blinking in bewilderment from Sally's confundus charm, was unable to catch it and it fell to the floor. Sally lunged forward to grab it. She shot another confundus charm at Lucy and then another and another until Lucy's eyes rolled back in her head and she lost her grip on her wand along with her grip on reality.

She stumbled off the stage in a daze and Madam Pomfrey hurried forward to check up on her.

'Miss MacDougall is the winner!' Professor Raleigh exclaimed from his seat high above them.

Sally wiped the sweat off her forehead with the sleeve of her robes and smiled. But she didn't have much time to rest.

'Choose your opponent Miss MacDougall' Raleigh barked.

'Voisin Duff!' Sally yelled immediately. It seemed that the Slytherins had also made a pact to challenge each other as well.

The Slytherin chaser climbed onto the stage as cheers erupted from Slytherin. But he wasn't there for long. It took Sally less than a few seconds into the bout to blast him backwards and send his wand flying into the crowd.

Voisin rolled off the stage with an vexed look on his face.

Sally's next opponent was Horon Carrow's cousin from fourth year, Beth Carrow. She was a formidable looking girl with a face like a bulldog and a nasty glint in her eye. It was Slytherin against Slytherin once again and Lily could see that James was shifting from one foot to the other impatiently, as he began to worry that he wouldn't get the chance to compete at all.

Sally got one good hex in before Beth shot a jet of green light at her and she turned a pale shade of green, dropped her wand and doubled over. The students on the stands all stood up to get a better look at what was happening.

Sally retched before letting out an almighty belch. To the horror of all who were watching, a large slug burst out of her mouth and onto the stage. Sally let out a wail and quickly shuffled off the stage in embarrassment. The sea of students parted in order to avoid the stream of slug slime that came pouring out of Sally's mouth as she ran off in the direction of the hospital wing.

Beth Carrow looked delighted. Lily caught Lysander's eye and whispered;

'She's as bad as her cousin that one'

'I hear he grew up with her- that they've been living together since they were kids, what with his mother being in Azkaban and all'

'So maybe that's where he gets it from' Lily said in horrified disgust.

Beth was scanning the hall with squinted eyes, trying to decide on her next prey. She stopped staring at the Hufflepuff stands. Lily could see Scorpius sitting at the back of the stands and hoped that Beth wasn't as intent on revenge against the Malfoy family as her cousin was.

'Simon Cole!' Beth bellowed.

A small wispy-haired, rosy-cheeked Hufflepuff boy from Lily's year made a terrified squeaking sound.

'Oh dear- why did poor little Cole go and enter?' Lily could hear Hazel gasp from a few stands in front of her.

Simon stood up and made his way down the stands to the stage. He was visibly shaking, but this just seemed to make Beth's smirk grow wider.

'A second year against a fourth year hardly seems fair' Lily muttered with concern.

But Simon bravely took out his wand and stood before Beth even whilst twitching with fear. As soon as Raleigh had counted down from three and the bout had begun however he threw himself down on the ground in order to dodge Beth's violent blasting hex.

The one advantage Simon seemed to have was that he was rather small and agile, whereas Beth was large and slow. He sprinted around the stage for a while narrowly missing being hit by Beth's ever more destructive spells as the Slytherin crowd laughed.

Finally Simon managed to keep himself and his wand steady for long enough to shout out 'Aqua Eructo!'.

A great fountain of water burst out from Simon's wand showering Beth. This made the Slytherin crowd laugh even louder as Beth stood there with a terrifying grin on her face, letting the water wash over her.

'What are you trying to do you little twat?' She bellowed with laugher 'give me a bath?'

The steam of water slowly became smaller and smaller until only a trickle fell to the ground from Simon's wand. Lily could see that some of the Slytherins were now laughing so hard that they had fallen off their seats on the stands.

Beth grinned menacingly at the small boy and slowly raised her wand. She didn't seem to be the least bit worried about prohibiting Simon from sending any more spells her way. Perhaps she thought he didn't know any more.

But little Simon, with a pale face and wide eyes quickly raised his wand again and screamed 'Glacio!'.

The soaking wet Beth was frozen within seconds. Her wand arm remained stuck up in the air, a shocked look frozen onto her features.

'Mr Cole is the winner!' Raleigh declared as Madam Pomfrey once again hurried forward and onto the stage to retrieve the ice-figure that Beth Carrow had become. The Hufflepuff stands erupted into applause for Simon who looked stunned at his own victory.

'Choose an opponent Mr Cole' Raleigh instructed after a few moments in which Simon stood looking almost as frozen as Beth had.

Simon's eyes filled with fear once more at the realization he'd have to duel again. He spun looking around the room for a friendly face.

'Mr Adderly please Sir' Simon said quietly.

Lily could see James thrust a fist into the air in triumph. Now that Johnathan was in the competition he seemed confident that his best friend would make good on his word and choose James in the next bout.

The Hufflepuff crowd looked rather disappointed at Simon's choice of a Gryffindor. But Lily knew why he had done it. Johnathan was known for being incredibly kind to the younger students, helping them find their classes and teaching them helpful spells regardless of their house. Everyone knew he would be a shoe-in for Prefect once he reached fifth year.

Johnathan took out his wand and climbed onto the stage, giving Simon a reassuring smile and nod. For the first time since he'd taken to the stage, Simon looked relieved.

Johnathan let Simon get in a few good hexes which he easily deflected before disarming him with expelliarmus and being declared winner as everyone knew he would be. Simon didn't seem to be upset at his loss but rather looked both relieved that it was over and happy that he'd enabled the brotherly senior student to get into the competition.

Johnathan turned to look into the crowd and locked eyes with James.

'James Potter' he said with a grin.

James returned his grin and climbed eagerly onto the stage.

'I won't go easy on you' Johnathan warned with a smirk.

'I wouldn't expect anything less' James shot back cheerfully and the two boys held their wands up in front of their faces and bowed signaling a start to the duel.

Lily watched on apprehensively. A small part of her hoped that Johnathan might win but she wasn't sure why. Maybe it had something to do with James' conceited attitude over the past week.

But though the boys fight was by far the longest and closest, it ended with a well-placed disarming charm from James and the two boys congenially embraced before Johnathan stepped down off the stage conceding defeat.

James then looked around at the crowd with an expression of determination.

'James!'

Lily could hear the sound of Albus calling to him. She spotted him down by the edge of the stage, trying to get his attention.

'James- I'm here! Pick me!' he yelled, waiving his hand.

But whether James had not heard him or not it was hard to say.

'Mr Horon Carrow' James said grinning.

Lily's heart stopped. She saw a flash of anger pass over Albus's face.

'You promised!' He hissed.

'I'll get to you brother' James said dismissively with a quick glance at Albus. So he  _had_  known he was there, Lily thought ruefully.

Horon Carrow took to the stage to the sound of half-hearted cheers from the Slytherins. He didn't look particularly happy about having been chosen.

James sent Carrow flying into the air by one leg within seconds of the bout beginning, his wand falling hopelessly to the floor. A few giggles could be heard here and there but Carrow's deadly glare soon quietened them.

'Put me down Potter!' He spat.

'With pleasure' James said smiling setting him back down with care. Once he reached the ground Carrow scrambled off the stage but the loathsome look in his eye prevented anyone from cheering for James' victory.

Next, James chose Brice Scabier as Albus looked on in disbelief. Lily realized with a bolt of dread that it seemed like James was making his way through the Slytherin Quidditch team in a bid to rile them up before next week's match.

Sure enough, once he had beaten Scabier in a bout just as swift and one-sided as the last, James called on Cruin Yaxley to be his next opponent. Albus slammed a palm against the stage in frustration.

'You promised me James! You promised-' he yelled up at him angrily.

'And I'll get to you, don't you worry' James chuckled back unfazed.

Yaxley faired somewhat better than his team mates had even managing to hit James in the arm with a nasty stinging hex. But there was no stopping the over-confident eldest Potter and he swiftly ended the bout by bounding Yaxley with a flick of his wand and a 'Petrificus Totalus!'.

Raleigh announced James the winner yet again before declaring that the next bout would be the final one for the day. Nine bouts had been fought, four of which had been won by the Gryffindor Quidditch Captain.

Albus was more agitated than ever as James looked around the room again considering his next choice.

'Come on James. Please. You have to keep your word-' he plead with him now.

The only two players left who hadn't fought from the Slytherin team were Relder Aethelwulf and the youngest, Raul Pucey. Lily doubted that James, even in his current ambitious state, would stoop so low as to choose a second year as his dueling opponent, which left the fourth year Seeker Aethelwulf his likely choice.

'James! Please!' Albus yelled again over the excited whispers of the crowd.

To Lily's relief James turned to look at him this time and with a small laugh said;

'Alright then. If you really want to go next- Albus Potter!'

The crowd broke out into a frenzied chatter. James Potter versus Albus Potter? Harry Potter's two boys against each other? This would be a bout to be remembered.

Lily sighed in relief. At least it seemed as though a verbal fight between her two brothers over a broken promise had been avoided. Albus would get his chance to compete and James could take down Aethelwulf in tomorrow's round. Or so she thought.

Albus climbed onto the stage with an unfamiliar hungry look in his eyes. James on the other hand was all smiles.

'Better give them a good show eh?' He said with a flick of his head towards the crowd of students.

'I guess we'd better' Albus replied in a low voice, his eyes fixed unblinkingly on James.

'Would you look at that Lily! Both your brothers against each other! How thrilling!' Hazel exclaimed. She had turned in her seat and was looking over at Lily with glee as though they were in for a treat. Lily's expression could not have been more different from Hazel's. She just frowned back at the girl, dread knotting up her stomach.

James' blue eyes looked into Albus's emerald ones as they lifted their wands to their faces and bowed. Lily watched the familiar brown haired head of James and the black messy one of Albus move further apart as they strode the required five steps each.

To Lily, Professor Raleigh's countdown seemed like it was in slow motion as her entire body tensed with nervousness. The hall had gone completely silent in anticipation for the battle between the two brothers.

' _Three_ '

Lily saw Albus's wand hand twitch in excitement.

' _Two_ '

James let out another chuckle.

' _One_ '

Albus spun around faster than James and shot a stream of white sparks towards him. It was the same charm that Lily had used on that fateful day by the lake against Carrow. She never would have thought she'd see it being used in a fight between her brothers.

James was able to deflect it just in time with a quick flick of his wrist and the incantation 'Protego!'. He immediately shot off several immobilizing charms in rapid fire procession at Albus but each of them was deflected one by one.

James grinned at Albus's impressive reflexes. But not for long enough to let him get another shot in.

The duel continued on with James moving steadily closer towards Albus, yelling incantation after incarnation. But nothing was fast enough to get past the nimble seeker.

Everyone in the hall was holding their breath, waiting for the shot that would get through Albus's defenses and end the fight. But no matter what angle James tried or what spell he used, Albus was waiting with something to block it.

James grit his teeth and increased his speed. The smile had gone from his face as he concentrated on getting out all the spells he had practiced with Johnathan as fast as he could.

When nothing worked, he yelled out in a voice tainted with frustration ' _Defodio_!'

But the spell wasn't aimed at Albus. It flew over his shoulder and hit the stone wall behind him, gouging out a hole and sending stoney debris flying. The students nearest to the wall shrieked in surprise and rushed to get out of the way of the falling rocks.

A few of the larger ones flew forward and hit Albus in the back. Albus dropped and rolled forward with a yelp of pain.

James lowered his wand and stepped forward with concern.

'Albus, I'm sorry! Are you-?'

But before he could finish Albus had raised his head and screamed out ' _Incarcerous_!'

Thick ropes burst out from the end of his wand and wound themselves around James who lost balance and fell to the floor.

Without waiting a beat, Albus got up and closed in on James.

'You've lost' he growled at him.

'No!'

James was wriggling about trying to loosen the ropes in vain. The hand that still clutched onto Harry's wand stuck out and he tried to maneuver himself around so that he could point the wand at Albus.

'Yes' Albus hissed. He lunged forward and pried the wand from James' hand.

James' eyes widened in shock and anger as Albus held the stolen wand up high for all to see.

'Mr Albus Potter is the winner!' declared Raleigh and the hall broke out into scandalized whispers.

'No!' James yelled in disbelief, still thrashing about on the stage.

Lily stood up off her seat. She couldn't believe it either.

But more than anything else, she couldn't believe the look of contempt that she saw in Albus's eyes as he looked down at the bound up James, their father's Phoenix feather core wand firmly in his clasp.


	39. The Victor

When Lily returned to the common room that evening she found Albus in the same large armchair that James had been in when he had boasted about possessing their father's wand. That very wand was now being spun around in Albus's fingers.

Lily was not impressed.

'Couldn't you have just let him win Albus?' she said softly. 'He wanted it so badly'

' _Let him win_?' Albus scoffed, halting his spinning wand. 'The winner will go on to duel in the inter-school championship Lily! It's the chance of a lifetime!'

Lily frowned. Her brothers had always been competitive when it came to quidditch and even their grades. But she had never seen them so ruthless.

'Do you really want to go to Beauxbatons that much?' she asked.

'It's not just about going to France Lily' Albus said incredulously. 'It's about having your name remembered as the best underaged dueler there is. These tournaments only happen once every century- and winning, well it's basically a ticket to the Auror department isn't it?'

'But don't you think our name is already remembered enough?' Lily mumbled in dismay.

'That's for what dad did' Albus pointed out dismissively, 'I want it to be remembered for what _I_  did'

Lily had to admit that she could understand where Albus was coming from and what he wanted to achieve, even if she didn't like his methods of getting there.

Lily turned around in surprise as a furious James bust in through the portrait hole and marched up to where Albus was sitting. Johnathan followed along after him looking just as worried as Lily felt.

'Give me back the wand Albus' He said flatly, looking down at him gravely.

The handful of Gryffindor first and second years who were studying by the fireplace all looked up at the ensuing drama with interest.

'It won't listen to you now. You know that' Albus replied calmly.

'I don't care. Dad gave it to me for a reason. It's mine' James shot back at him through grit teeth.

'James, Albus won it fairly' Lily mumbled, avoiding James' eyes.

'Oh so you're taking his side? Like you always do-' he yelled rounding on her.

'I'm not taking anyone's side!' Lily exclaimed in frustration. 'Since when do we even _have_  sides? When Dad gave us those things he asked us to work together!'

Lily flushed as she realized that everyone in the common room was now staring at them in shocked silence.

'Then give me the cloak' James demanded, turning back to Albus again.

'Are you mad? I'm not giving you anything, you big-headed twat' Albus scoffed.

'Lily's right- we're supposed to work together. So how can I work with you if I've got  _nothing_?'

James stepped towards Albus and grabbed him by the front of his robes. Albus immediately raised Harry's wand and pointed it at his face.

Lily rushed forward and grabbed James's wrist.

'Enough!' she yelled looking sternly at each of her brothers in turn. 'There has been enough fighting for today'

James exhaled in frustration and slowly let go of Albus's collar, stepping away from him.

'There's no reason to fight' Lily said firmly keeping her position in between them both.

'Yeah, because I won fair and square' Albus muttered unhelpfully.

Lily shut her eyes and sighed knowing Albus's words would set James off again.

'It's just so bloody selfish Albus! You may have been able to beat me because I went soft on you. But you'll never be able to win the competition and get those points for Gryffindor!'

'You went  _soft on me_? You great git- can you even hear yourself right now?' Albus started to laugh.

'Oh go on. Laugh it up while you can. But I'm the only one who had a chance of beating Relder Aethelwulf. She's the strongest and I was leaving her for last.'

'Aethelwulf might not even get chosen-' Lily reasoned with James.

'Just you watch brother. You think you're the only one who has been preparing for this tournament, don't you? But you're wrong'

Albus's face was hard but his eyes twinkled in delight. James wouldn't let him keep that spark of joy for long however.

'Bragging about the special treatment you've been getting from Raleigh are you? You think I don't know about your private lessons? You little teacher's pet'

Albus shook his head, his face scrunched up in pure loathing. James's words seemed to have finally hit a real nerve.

'You're just  _jealous_. You're jealous that I beat you. You're jealous that Professor Raleigh see's more potential as an Auror in me than you. And you're jealous that I'm going to win tomorrow'

Albus stood up off the chair, turned on his heal and marched up the dormitory steps out of sight.

James made a frustrated grunting noise and made to go after him but Lily jumped in his way. To Lily's surprise he promptly put a hand on her shoulder and pushed her roughly to the side. Seeing this, Johnathan rushed forward and grabbed his friend under the arms to stop him.

'James, mate calm down! You're taking this too far' He threw a glance at Lily who had only just managed to keep her balance.

'I just want to go to bed!' James yelled in frustration and pulled himself out of Johnathan's grip. He promptly stomped up the stairs and off into his own bed chambers.

Lily and Johnathan watched him go and sighed with relief when they saw that he hadn't followed Albus.

'Are you alright?' Johnathan asked putting a hand on Lily's shoulder.

'Yeah' Lily mumbled dismissively, shrugging off his concern with a half-hearted smile.

Johnathan gave the staring students by the fire a stern look that told them to mind their own business and they quickly went back to pretending to study.

'They've gone mad those two. I've never seen them like this' Lily lamented shaking her head.

'Just a spot of brotherly rivalry I guess- they'll be better after they cool down and pull their heads in' Johnathan tried to reassure her.

'If Albus wins, James will never hear the end of it. But if he loses, James will never shut up about it- it's a loosing battle' Lily sighed with a heavy heart.

'I think James will be proud if Albus wins' Johnathan said calmly. 'It might take him a while to realize it. But he will be'

Lily smiled at his positivity. She was glad that he could still see some good in her brothers. Because at that moment she wasn't sure that she could anymore.

 

It was with that same heavy heart that Lily took her seat on the stands the next morning. She could see Albus down by the stage with Thomas and Rose, a cheerful look on his face. James was also there, sitting a few rows in front of her with Johnathon on the stands. Lily had thought perhaps he wouldn't show up. But despite James' bad feelings towards Albus, it appeared that his curiosity to see who would win the final round was just as great as the rest of the students.

Lily saw Professor Raleigh take his seat. He was dressed in royal red robes that were even finer than the ones he had worn the day before, trimmed with gold finishings.

'Today's final round shall decide the third, second and first place winner of the tournament' the professor declared grandly.

'Of course, only the first place winner will be given the honor of competing as Hogwart's champion in the inter-school Dueling Tournament to be held next year at Beauxbatons Academy'

'So without further ado, let us welcome the victor of yesterday's round to the stage; Mr Albus Potter!'

The crowd clapped enthusiastically as Albus climbed the small steps and took his place on the stage. Lily looked nervously over at James who looked on with his arms crossed.

'I trust you've decided on your first opponent Mr Potter?' Raleigh asked.

Albus smiled and nodded.

'Relder Aethelwulf' he declared.

Lily groaned internally. It appeared James really had hit a nerve yesterday and now Albus was choosing the most formidable opponent first for the sake of his own pride.

Relder was even taller and paler than her younger sister with just the same dark hair and pointed face. She had an aura of fierceness that seemed to make the male students around her more nervous than her beauty did.

Albus did not look nervous for either reason however. He stared down the stage at her with the same hungry look he had when had he faced off with James the day before.

The duel begun with swift move from Relder as she shot the same incarcerous spell that Albus had used on James at him. Thick ropes flew towards him but before they could wind their way around him Albus had incinerated them with a loud ' _incendio_!'.

The ropes swiftly burnt up, their ashes raining to the ground.

As the ashes hit the stage, Reader went on the attack again.

' _Serpensortia_!'

A snake was conjured up from thin air and sent flying through the remaining air-born ashes towards Albus, landing with a thud and a hiss a few feet in front of him.

Albus calmly took a step back as the snake slithered towards him before raising his wand and yelling;

' _Duro_!'

The snake was instantly turned to stone. But Albus didn't stop there.

' _Wingardium Leviosa_!'

He send the stone snake flying backwards into the air above Relder before letting it drop.

Relder lunged out of it's path as it came crashing down onto the stage and broke into millions of shards. She had lunged so far, that she went tumbling off the stage.

'And Mr Potter is the winner!' Professor Raleigh exclaimed, hardly managing to keep the joy from his voice.

James had been right. The Professor did seem to harbor a preference for Albus. And if what he had said about the private lessons was true, whatever Albus had learnt from him about dueling appeared to be very valuable.

'Your next opponent Mr Potter?' Releigh asked happily.

'Raul Pucey' Albus replied with a grin.

In any other circumstance, Lily would have been happy to see Raul get a good thrashing. But after witnessing Albus almost crush his team's seeker with a heap of stone, Raul looked positively terrified and Lily found it hard not to feel sorry for him.

'Do I have to Sir?' Raul asked with wide eyes. A ripple of laugher could be heard from the crowd.

'No Mr Pucey, you may decline if you wish' Raleigh said flatly.

'Don't be a bloody coward Pucey!' Horon Carrow growled angrily from a few rows behind him.

Raul looked back at Carrow with alarm before looking over at Albus again. He seemed torn between getting a beating now from Albus or getting one later from his fellow Slytherin. In the end, he seemed to decide that Albus was the lesser of two evils.

It was a painful duel to watch. Raul cowered at the edge of the stage with his eyes closed, not even attempting to block whatever Albus intended to send his way.

Albus raised his wand and yelled 'Jump!'

It wasn't an incantation of any kind but it had the effect of making Raul do just that and the duel was over without even one spark of magic leaving either duelers wand. The students broke into roaring laughter at the ridiculousness of it and Albus grinned.

'Right- Mr Potter is the winner again. Next?' said Raleigh, his disapproval of Raul's cowardice barely vailed behind his spiritless tone.

With the Slytherin entrants all out of the way, Albus went on to challenge several Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs including his own cousins Rose and Molly Weasley. But he won each bout with apparent ease, none of them lasting as long as the bout he had fought against James. Lily had to admit that she was in awe of the amount he had learnt in such a short period of time. Even Molly, who was a talented fourth year (arguably the most talented in Hufflepuff) did not last more than a few minutes against him.

'He's only got one bout left' Lysander whispered to her as they watched Molly leave the stage defeated.

Lily sighed. At least it looked like one of her brothers would be able to fulfill their dream of representing Hogwarts in the dueling championship next year. As hard as it had been to watch him be so ruthless, she knew she would be proud of Albus once he had been named victor.

He was taking his time in naming his last opponent. Lily knew it was an important choice, but at the same time, he had already beaten all of the strongest students who had entered so she doubted it would make much of a difference in the end.

'Choose a Gryffindor mate!' Thomas yelled from the side of the stage. There was a murmur of agreement from the other Gryffindors in the crowd. If Albus chose one of his own he would effectively be ensuring that the points for the victor would be given to his house regardless of the outcome.

'Yeah, choose a Gryffindor!' Hugo said loudly.

Albus looked steadily over at the stands where many of his fellow Gryffindors including Lily and James were seated. He looked at Victoire and Dominique, then Roxanne and even at Hugo.

Then his eyes found their way to Lily.

Lily looked back into them. She wasn't sure why he had stopped and worried that his nerves were getting the better of him. She gave him a small smile of encouragement.

Albus's lips parted, his eyes still on her.

'Lily Potter' he said quietly.

A bolt of surprise cut into Lily's heart. She blinked, not quite believing what she had just heard.

People were looking around in confusion.

'What did you say?' Roxanne yelled out with a frown.

'Lily Potter' Albus said loudly and steadily.

Lily froze in complete shock. What was he playing at?

'She didn't enter Albus!' James yelled angrily.

Albus looked over at him calmly before turning to Professor Raleigh expectantly.

'The entries were for the initial draw of lots' Raleigh stated matter of factly. 'Miss Potter may compete if she chooses to'

Albus turned back with a faint smile to look Lily in the eyes again.

Lily's hands were shaking from the shock and her face was pale. The entire school was watching her.

'Do you want to Lily?'

Lysander's dreamy voice only just managed to register in Lily's foggy brain.

'What?' She said faintly.

'Do you want to give it a go?' Lysander asked peacefully as though she had just been challenged to a game of wizards chess rather than a duel she was sure to loose. He had taken her wand out of her bag for her and held it out to her with the grip end towards her.

Lily swallowed hard. She looked over at the stands across from her to where Scorpius sat with many of the other Hufflepuffs. He had thought that she could do it- that she should enter. But now he looked just as surprised and worried at this sudden turn of events as everybody else.

'Don't do it Lily!' James stood up from his seat. 'The stupid twat- he just wants an easy win'

Though she knew he was probably right, for some reason James's words stung her pride. But of course Albus must want an easy win. Why else would he choose the most inept witch in the school?

Johnathan's words came back to her; 'James will be proud if Albus wins. It might take him a while- but he will be'.

Lily looked at James and knew Johnathan was right; Albus winning was the best hope that her brothers had of ever making up. So maybe loosing terribly in front of the entire school would be worth it to give Albus the easy win he needed.

Lily took her wand from Lysander and stood up. The school broke into fervent chatter, but she could hardly hear it as she made her way slowly down the stands and through the sea of students gathered around the stage.

'Lily-no! Don't do it! This is nuts!' James appealed to her as she passed him, but in her nervous state his words hardly registered.

Everything felt like it was in slow motion as she walked up the steps and turned to face Albus.

Her wand was shaking violently in her hand so she closed her eyes for a moment and willed herself to calm down.

It would all be over within a few minutes- perhaps seconds. Then Albus would be crowned the winner and they could work towards forgetting about James and Albus's awful fight.

Lily exhaled and opened her eyes. Staring straight back at her were Albus's identical emerald eyes, his wand raised in front of his face ready to begin.

Lily took another deep breath and raised her own wand up to her face. Not a sound could be heard from the astonished crowd as the brother and sister bowed at each other.

Albus and Lily turned and strode forward, their footsteps echoing around the silent hall.

'Three'

Raleigh's authoritative voice sounded more terrifying to Lily than ever before.

'Two'

Lily realized with a shudder of fear that she hadn't even decided what spell to attempt to use. But would it even matter? she thought woefully. Would she even be able to make her wand produce  _anything_?

'One!'

Lily spun around in a panic, raising her wand and screaming ' _Baubillious_!'

But nothing happened. And Albus didn't wait to see if it would.

' _Expelliarmus_!' he yelled.

Lily's wand went flying immediately out of her hand and a ripple of laughter could be heard amongst the students.

She hadn't lasted even a few seconds.

Lily flushed in embarrassment. Of all the terrible experiences she had had so far in making a fool of herself in front of her peers this was by far the worst.

She just wanted it to be over. She wanted to get back to her four poster bed so that she could cry away the shame.

She shook her head at Albus who somehow still managed to have a smile on his face.

'Are you happy now?' she muttered as she moved to get off the stage and concede her defeat.

But as she went to step off the edge she heard Albus yell something and a great fireball flew past, inches in front of her, stopping her in her tracks.

Lily looked over at him in alarm. She couldn't believe he could have truly meant to attack her when she was unarmed.

'Not yet' Albus said quietly. 'You can do better than that'

Lily ducked as another fireball came flying straight at her.

'Are you mad?!' she yelled from the stage floor, her hands covering her head.

Albus's reply was in the form of another charm; ' _Rictusempra_!'

Lily was sent sliding backwards along the floor of the stage, an invisible force tickling her, forcing her to double up and wheeze with laughter.

Albus was laughing too. He had strode over to where she lay and was now looking down at her chuckling. But Lily could see that his eyes were glazed over, not a glimmer of true mirth to be found in them.

'ALBUS! WHAT IN MERLIN'S NAME ARE YOU DOING?!' James roared from the stands.

Lily's heart clenched in fear. Albus had begun to slowly raise his wand again. She shook her head at him, still laughing uncontrollably.

'Albus- Please- Stop' She managed to gasp out between wheezes.

There was a burst of white light from Albus's wand which hit Lily in the neck from a horrifyingly close range. Upon contact Lily felt her skin sting painfully and she let out a scream.

'ALBUS!' James bellowed.

Lily's head rolled to the side and she could see that James had rushed over near the edge of the stage and was being held back by a pale looking Johnathan.

Lily put a hand to her neck. She could feel her skin swelling where the jinx had hit her.

'Stop the duel Professor!' Johnathan yelled up at the high chair that Raleigh sat upon. But the Professor didn't respond. He appeared to be deep in thought.

Albus, still standing over Lily, raised his wand once again.

Lily felt sick. she couldn't believe this was happening- that her brother had not only embarrassed her in front of the entire student body but now he seemed intent on truly hurting her.

A mixture of fear, anger and defiance flowed through Lily. She would not let him do it again. She could not let him.

As Albus's next stinging jinx flew towards her she held out her hands and yelled ' _Protego_!'.

Lily braced for the pain but it didn't come. All she heard was an outbreak of gasps from the crowd. She quickly sat up.

Albus was rolling around on the ground a few meters from her, with his hands to his face writhing in pain.

Lily looked at her hands in shock. Had it really worked? Had she sent the jinx bounding back at him?

She didn't have time to think too deeply about it however as the swollen faced Albus was already picking up his wand and scrambling to his feet.

Lily did the same but in the absence of a wand she held her hands out, palms forward at him and yelled in fury; ' _Baubillious_!'

This time- somehow- it miraculously worked. A stream of white sparks appeared out of nowhere in the space in front of her palms and shot towards Albus's chest.

He was sent flying backwards again but as soon as he hit the ground he threw his wand arm up and bellowed; ' _Confringo_!'

A destructive blast, unlike any that Lily had ever seen ripped through the air towards her and she instinctively threw her arms up in front of herself screaming ' _Protego_!'.

A protective bubble managed to form around her and she was saved just in time from the full force of the blast. But her bubble had the unfortunate effect of sending the blast off in all directions around the room. Students were forced to dive under their seats as it flew through the air towards them. Many of them where thrown off their feet and there was a great chorus of screams.

Lily could see that Albus was getting up again. It seemed like nothing was enough to convince him that enough was enough. Not even the destruction of some of the stands.

Without a flicker of hesitation, Lily threw her arms out again and yelled; ' _Expelliarmus_!'

Albus lost his grip on their father's wand. He flew backwards in the opposite direction of it and all the way off the stage landing with a thud onto the ground below. The wand soared through the air towards Lily.

She caught it with one outstretched arm, breathing heavily.

She looked over to discover that Albus was on the ground in amongst a crowd of shocked looking Ravenclaws.

Lily stood stunned with her father's wand still raised above her. It was over.

'The winner-' Professor Raleigh announced in astonishment.

'-is Lily Potter'


	40. A Spot of Sibling Rivalry

Lily was in a daze.

After the duel she had found herself in the hospital wing once again, having her swollen neck tended to by Madam Pomfrey whilst the Headmistress grilled her on what had happened.

What spells had Albus used?

Did she know he was going to challenge her?

Had he ever seen her use wandless magic before?

Had they been fighting about something in the lead up to the duel?

But Lily was hardly able to comprehend the questions being asked let alone answer them. She was certainly thinking about Albus, but not the Albus she was being asked about.

She was thinking about the Albus she had run through the forrest with near their Thiramard home chasing after foxes and rabbits after James had started his first year of Hogwarts.

And she was thinking about the Albus who had rushed over to save her from a particularly nasty garden gnome that had bitten her hand on her fifth birthday.

The Albus who had reassured her she would grow to love Hogwarts in time, the Albus who had secretly taught her how to fly a broom during his school holidays and the Albus who had always laughed the hardest at her jokes during family dinners; these were the Albus that she knew.

'I don't know Professor' was all she could manage to murmur in response.

The Headmistress was not always a patient woman, and she appeared to be struggling to hide her frustration at Lily's reluctance to shed any light on the situation. She opened her mouth to ask something else but just as she did, her attention was taken by something over Lily's shoulder.

'Mr Potter!'

Lily spun around thinking wildly that perhaps the Albus that she knew had returned to tell everyone that Lily's dueling opponent had been a Polyjuice-drinking imposter.

But it was James, come to see how she was fairing.

'Mr Potter- I've just come from talking to your bother and Professors Raleigh and Slughorn' the Headmistress announced.

James swallowed. His face was grave.

'Yes Professor?'

'Well, the thing is Mr Potter- the use of a spell as destructive as the Blasting Curse upon another student is a very serious offense, even in the circumstances of an organized dueling competition'

James' face hardened and he nodded slowly. He didn't look surprised.

'As I'm sure you are now well aware it is a very dangerous and destructive spell, the use of which under normal circumstances would result in expulsion'

Lily felt as though someone had thrown icy water over her, waking her from her daze.

'Expulsion?' she cried out to the Headmistress. James moved closer to her and put a comforting hand on her shoulder.

'In normal circumstances, most certainly-' Professor McGonagall went on.

'-However, Professors Slughorn and Raleigh have both informed me that they are quite sure that Albus didn't know what the spell would do- that he'd only repeated an incantation he had heard without knowing it's effects'

Lily blinked. She forced herself to keep a stoney face but she could feel James's hand squeeze her shoulder as he tensed up beside her. Professor McGonagall cleared her throat and continued.

'As Miss Potter does not seem to be in a fit enough state to answer any of my questions-'

'-He didn't know' Lily cut in quickly 'I'm sure of it. He would never have used it if he had known'

The Headmistress looked Lily's earnest face over quietly before turning to James.

'Mr Potter?'

James exhaled. Lily looked up at him in alarm, worried about what his next words would be.

'He didn't know' James sighed finally. 'I've never heard him talk about it'

Lily felt her entire body loosen in relief and she wasn't the only one; Professor McGonagall looked incredibly relieved too.

'Well then, I will just have to organize a different punishment' she said curtly before turning to leave.

But she stopped on her way out as though she'd just remembered something and said;

'Well done Miss Potter. I trust you will make a fine champion at the Tournament next year'.

Lily, who did not want to think about ever having to duel again, gave the Professor a weak smile and watched her leave the Hospital wing.

The room fell into silence except for the sound of Madame Pomfrey's heels on the stone floor as she walked about tidying up the other beds in order to give James and Lily some space to talk.

But the pair remained speechless for a long time until James finally managed to catch Lily's eye.

'You didn't have to do that' he said despondently. 'He would have deserved it you know- expulsion'

'He might have forgotten-' Lily began to say quietly.

'Forgotten?' James scoffed shaking his head. 'Forgotten the story Uncle George told us about how his brother died? About what curse had been used to kill him? Seems pretty unlikely doesn't it?'

Lily let out a small dry sob.

She herself knew that she would never be able to forget the time the three siblings had sat with Uncle George in front of the fire at 12 Grimmauld Place to listen to his stories from the war against Lord Voldemort.

At first it had all seemed quite thrilling- George and Fred on the run from the Dark Lord's followers with their best friend Lee Jordan, starting up their own wireless program, encouraging witches and wizards to support Harry. But their uncle's eyes had glazed over as he recounted seeing the life blown out of his brother by a sudden, great force.

'The Blasting Curse- Confringo- we'd used it a couple of times ourselves you know-' George had said in a voice that had become suddenly hoarse.

'-just to blow up walls and things when we were on the run. But I'd never seen it used against a living being before. I'd never even thought someone would try to…'

Lily swallowed hard. The memory of Uncle George's usually jovial face in an expression of utter despair was not something that anyone would be likely to forget.

'We both know that Albus ought to have known better than anyone that it isn't a curse to be used against another person- let alone your own flesh and blood' James's voice was low and grave.

Lily exhaled. Her throat had become tight and painful. She didn't know what to say, nor did she have the energy to even attempt to carry on this conversation.

James, sensing her distress, squeezed her shoulder again consolingly.

'Shall we go get some dinner then?'

Lily nodded numbly and began to walk towards the door.

'Wait- don't forget this' James called to her. He held out their father's wand which she had carelessly left on the bedside table.

'It's yours' she said dismissively.

'No' James replied firmly. He picked up one of her hands which had been hanging limply by her side, opened her palm up and placed the wand in it.

'You won it fair and square'

 

They could tell from the sound of goblets clanging, cutlery chiming on plates and students chattering that the feast had already begun. Lily walked behind James, hoping to sneak in unnoticed.

But the sight of James entering the hall caused a great hush and immediately the clanging, chiming and chattering ceased. It was replaced by a scatter of whispers and mutterings.

'Potter!'

Lily heard someone in front of them call to James as they made their way slowly up the hall towards the middle of the table where they normally sat.

'Potter! Potter!'

Lily could see that a number of other Gryffindors from all different years had begun to call out to James too. The voices grew louder and greater in number until suddenly the entire Gryffindor table was chanting;

'POTTER! POTTER! POTTER!'

Lily looked at James's back still walking slowly just ahead of her. He turned to look back at her and smiled proudly.

It was only then that Lily realized with a bolt of surprise that they weren't calling out for James.

Every eye was on her.

'POTTER! POTTER! POTTER!'

Johnathan came into view ahead of them. He was chanting loudly too and had an incredible grin on his face.

Once Lily reached him, he jumped up onto his seat and announced loudly over the chanting;

'Lily Potter! Winner of the Wand!'

The chanting ceased and the Gryffindors cheered enthusiastically. In response Johnathan waved his arm grandly and yelled even louder;

'Queen of the Quaffle!'

All around her, Lily saw Gryffindor students jumping up to their feet and throwing their clapping hands into the air. Johnathan took a deep breath and bellowed;

'GODDESS OF GRYFFINDOR!'

Their was an outbreaking of ecstatic cheers and even a few over-excited screams. Despite how terrible she felt about what had happened, Lily couldn't keep a smile off her face. At least not for that moment.

She gave a small, embarrassed curtsey which caused another wave of excited cheers and quickly took a seat in between James and Johnathan.

Professor McGonagall stood up to hush the feverish students and eventually they all went back to their plates and merry chatter.

Lily looked around at the sea of Gryffindors in search of emerald eyes and messy hair as dozens of questions flew her way. Everyone wanted to know how she'd managed to learn to produce spells without a wand. But all Lily wanted to know was where was Albus and when would she get to ask why he'd done what he had.

 

Not for at least a week it turned out.

Albus, it seemed, did not want to be found. He stopped showing up to the great hall for meals. He was never in the common room when she was. Her last hope was that she would have some time to speak to him before quidditch practice at the end of the week.

But he wasn't there either.

James arrived late and to Lily's great surprise, was being followed by Alanna Hooch. He called for the rest of the team to come down and into the dressing room for a pre-match strategy meeting.

'Where's Albus?' Lily whispered, approaching him as the rest of the team filed inside.

'Not coming' James said shortly.

Lily raised an eyebrow but he just ushered her forward with a stoney face. Once inside, the team gathered around James and he let out a sigh before launching into their game plan for the Slytherin match on Saturday.

'Balfour, you'll be playing centre forward- make sure to keep an eye out for Roxanne's passes from the right side, that's the side we'll be starting on. Miss Hooch here will be playing in your usual position on the left-'

'Wait- what about me?' Lily asked in alarm. James had just given Poppy her position without even battering an eyelid and with Alanna suddenly on the team there would be too many players.

'You'll be playing seeker' James said bluntly.

'What?' Lily's mouth fell open. 'But that's Albus's-'

'Albus won't be playing for the rest of the season'

James didn't meet anyone's eyes. He looked down at his hands fiddling with his beaters gloves.

The team looked around at each other with worried looks, murmuring sullenly. James had been giving them pep talks leading up to the start of this season about how this year would be their chance to finally win the Quidditch Cup. But nobody could see how that would be possible without their star seeker.

'But- you can't have kicked him off the team?' Lily spluttered in shock. 'He's the best we have- he's our best chance of winning!'

'Professor McGonagall has banned him from playing for the rest of the year' James cut across her quickly. 'So there's not much we can do about it unfortunately'

James looked to be in two minds about it. He was still angry with Albus for having hurt their sister. But he also knew that he was an asset to their team and his loss was certain to lower their chances of winning the Cup.

Lily swallowed hard. She felt suddenly guilty. If she had lost the duel against Albus like she had planned to then they wouldn't be in this position. But then again, she couldn't see how she could have gotten off the stage in one piece without disarming him.

'It's alright Lily' Roxanne said taking her hand and squeezing it as though she'd read her mind. 'You're faster than anyone- you'll make a great seeker'

'And we've got Miss Hooch now too' Johnathan said with a friendly smile towards Alanna.

'Exactly' James said suddenly forcefully cheerful. It was as though he were trying to pep himself up as much as he was trying to lift the spirits of the team.

'You'll be needing a lot of practice to get up to speed- so we better get back to it'

He slapped a hand onto Lily's back with a sly smile.

 

Lily left the pitch that night well after dark. James had made her practice long after the rest of the team had disbanded and wouldn't let up until Lily protested that she'd have to be a bat to be able to see the snitch in such bad lighting.

Seeing how exhausted she was James let her go ahead whilst he packed up.

It had been an eventful week; Lily's daily life at Hogwarts had completely changed since the duel. She had gotten used to being ignored; to being the unremarkable squib who just happened to be the daughter of Harry Potter. Being so unremarkable in comparison to her popular and talented brothers had allowed her to spend most of her first year wandering freely about the castle with Lysander and Alasdair at all hours of the day or night.

But now students of all years and from all houses watched her when she walked down corridors or took a bites out of her supper. There were all manner of rumors flying around about how she had managed to perform windless magic. Some people thought that perhaps her famous father had taught her. Others went so far as to surmise that she'd traveled to the mountains of Uganda during the summer to learn it from the students of Uagadou. There were even whispers that she'd learnt it from Professor Raleigh- these Lily found to be the most unlikely and offensive.

The entire experience left Lily feeling rather tired. That, coupled with James's spartan seeker training, made Lily eager to get up to the Gryffindor dormitory and into her bed as soon as possible.

But when Lily entered the common room that night her weary eyes widened in surprise.

Sitting alone on the floor in front of the fire with a book in his hand and a distant look on his face was Albus.

He was so completely out of it that he didn't seem to notice her presence though Lily certainly noticed his. She had been looking for that messy mop of black hair for days.

'Albus?' Lily said faintly, not sure of where to begin.

He looked slowly up at her in a daze, finally seeming to realize he was not alone anymore.

'What is it?' Albus asked despondently.

Lily's lips parted. What is it? she repeated in her mind in confusion. Of all the things she had imagined he might say when she finally spoke to him again, that certainly hadn't been one of them.

Lily exhaled in frustration. Would she really have to ask? Did he not have any explanation for her? Or even an apology?

'Well- why did you do it?' Lily shot at him her voice rising in outrage.

Albus looked back at her with a blank face. Lily felt like shaking him in frustration. Could he really not know what she was talking about?

'Why did you challenge me to the duel?' Lily burst out angrily at Albus's silence.

Albus looked away again as though he weren't particularly interested in the subject.

'Well I thought you'd lose-' he said coldly.

Lily took a deep breath and exhaled. So James had been right- he had been looking for an easy win.

'-And I'd wanted to win' he added quite unnecessarily.

Lily felt herself flush in anger.

'Then why didn't you let me get off the stage?' she seethed.

'What do you mean?' he said still looking distant and distracted.

'You wouldn't let me get off the stage and concede defeat'

Lily couldn't understand why she needed to explain this to him. Moreover she couldn't understand why he was acting as though what had happened wasn't even significant enough to discuss.

'No I didn't'

Lily gaped at him. Was he really going to try to deny this when almost every student in the school had been there to witness it?

'Yes you did!' she exclaimed, 'you shot a spell in front of me and you said- you said 'you can do better than that'-!'

'DOES IT REALLY MATTER?' Albus bellowed suddenly. He was still looking ahead at the ground. But Lily could see that his stoney face had scrunched up in distress and his eyes were brimming with tears.

Lily froze starting at him in shock.

Then Albus's anguished face turned to her and she could see that his lips were trembling.

'You're the winner of the wand, you're everyone's queen now- you're even the seeker of the bloody Gryffindor team!'

Albus's eyes darkened and his pained expression dissipated into a hard look.

'Everything is better for you now' he shot at her through grit teeth.

'So, let me ask you; does it really matter what I did?' he finished hoarsely.

'Yes' Lily replied defiantly, her throat tightening.

'It matters because you're my brother and I trusted you'

She turned on her heel and hurried up the steps to her bed, her heart thudding painfully in her chest and her fists trembling.

 

Lily heard the cheers of the entire school for the second time that week when she swooped down within fifteen minutes of the Slytherin- Gyffindor match beginning and snatched up the snitch from under Relder Aethelwulf's nose.

The crowd was ecstatic; this was one of the quickest matches they'd seen for years and it was won by none other than the dueling champion Lily Potter.

Even Alanna and Poppy, who Lily worried would be annoyed that she'd finished the game off before they could even score, looked pleased to be at the centre of such a memorable game.

The Gryffindor table was even louder and rowdier than they had been after the dueling tournament. But this time Lily found it difficult to smile.

Albus was sitting a few seats down from her with his friend Thomas. The pair were noticeably silent amongst their excited fellow students. And every chant of 'Winner of the Wand' or 'Queen of the Snitch' (which had now changed from 'Queen of the Qauffle'), forced Lily to think back uncomfortably on how spiteful those names had sounded when Albus had repeated them to her in the common room a few nights past.

Lily found that she couldn't even enjoy the delicious post-match feast. Any food that she managed to force down tasted bland and uncomfortable in her throat and she knew that was no fault of the kitchen house elves.

With a sigh she gathered up her courage and stood up. She knew everyone would watch her; it seemed to be most people's past-time these days. But she ignored them and went over to sit down directly across from Albus.

His eyes flicked up at her in surprise but he continued eating without acknowledging her presence- an act that Lily found immediately infuriating. She forced her anger down however and tried diplomatically to say the best thing she could think of to make peace with her brother.

'It's actually really good that we all have to step up and train in different positions now'

There was an awkward silence and Thomas looked uneasily from Albus to Lily and back again.

'We'll be even more prepared to win the Cup next year when you're back' Lily went on cheerfully.

But Albus's hard glare told her that he could see straight through her forced positivity.

'Not if you play so well James doesn't ask me back' he muttered gloomily.

Lily's mouth fell open in outrage.

'That's what you're trying to do isn't it?' he shot at her bitterly.

Lily couldn't hold it in anymore. She stood up from her seat abruptly and slammed her hands down on the table.

'What is wrong with you?!'

To Lily's horror, a huge pile of mash potato that had been sitting largely untouched on the table between them exploded, splattering all over Albus.

Albus jumped up in fury, picked up two fistfuls of green peas and flung them at her. They bounced off her and scattered around the table, causing the students around them to stop and look over in surprise.

'What are you doing?' Lily spluttered in surprise at his childishness.

'You started it!' Albus shot back.

'That was an accident!' Lily yelled motioning to the splattered potato.

Albus scoffed and picked up a handful of shaved beef off a platter in front of him. Seeing this Lily immediately grabbed a goblet of pumpkin juice and lifted it threateningly. She could see James rushing towards them out of the corner of her eye.

'What in Merlin's name- put that down Albus you twat!' he yelled once he had reached them.

'You're not helping James- stay out of it!'

Lily turned around in frustration, swinging the goblet as she did and accidentally sprayed James with the juice.

Albus took the opportunity to fling his handful of beef at a stunned looking James. Then suddenly James was roaring in anger and picking up a plate of baked vegetables and pelting them at both of his younger siblings.

There were screams of confusion and outrage as several Gryffindors around them were unintentionally hit with ricocheting meats and vegetables of all kinds. Then suddenly before they knew it, the majority of the Gryffindor table had joined in and food was flying in all directions as the Headmistress yelled for calm and order.

When nobody heeded her warnings for detention or house points deducted she marched down to the middle of the table herself and grabbed James and Lily by the scruffs of their robes. Lily was in the middle of pouring gravy down James's back as he flung chicken wings at Albus.

Albus held up a pastie and was about to throttle it in Lily's direction when Professor Longbottom grabbed his wrist and pried it out.

Together the Headmistress and the Professor dragged the three siblings forcibly upstairs and into the Headmistress's office.

'SIT DOWN! WAIT THERE!' was all Professor McGonagall managed to splutter out in her fury.

'I'm going to call your father in' she informed them with a huff before slamming the door and disappearing down the stairs again.


	41. A Suitable Punishment

Harry Potter surveyed his children.

All three were sitting with their arms folded and stubborn looks on their faces, squished uncomfortably together on the Headmistress's small velvet couch. They avoided his gaze, staring instead at the floor.

Lily had peas in her hair and pumpkin on her face. James's shirt was stained with gravy, the smell of which filled the room. Albus's entire front torso was covered in a thin layer of mash potato which had now dried and was beginning to flake.

The Headmistress was standing next to their father with a stern expression. She had just finished explaining what had happened, including the details of the dueling tournament which she strongly suspected to be the catalyst of their food fight.

Harry seemed to be mulling over the situation in his mind. Finally, he turned to Professor McGonagall and said;

'May I have a word with them in private Professor?'

The headmistress fluttered her eyelids in surprise.

'If you wish' she replied curtly, 'But I would ask that you please think of a resolution for all this fighting. Any more of it may force me to deprive the Gryffindor team of yet another Seeker and their Captain'

Lily looked up in horror. She didn't know how she would survive Hogwarts if Quidditch, the only thing she excelled at, was taken from her.

Harry nodded silently, watching the professor leave. As soon as the door had clicked shut James' mouth shot open and he launched into a tirade against Albus.

'-he's been acting like a self-absorbed twat all week! Flaunting a wand that isn't even his! Challenging his own flesh and blood to a duel! Sulking around just because he lost-!'

'That sounds like a pretty good description of exactly what you did' Albus cut in icily.

'Fine, I was being a bit of an idiot- I'll admit it.' James shot back.

'But you! You almost killed our sister! Lily could have died in that duel!'

James had jumped off the couch and was standing looking down at Albus furiously.

'Don't be daft' Albus muttered, clicking his tongue and looking away.

James snapped. Lily could see it immediately in his face and she made to get up to restrain him.

His hand flew up to slap Albus across the face but Harry quickly stepped forward and grabbed his wrist from behind before he could bring it down.

' _James_ ' Harry admonished him with a low voice.

James exhaled through clenched teeth, before pulling his wrist out of his father's grip and walking over to the other side of the room to pace in frustration.

Harry looked into each of their faces disapprovingly in turn.

'I asked you to look out for each other. I gave you each the most valuable possessions I own. Do you even know why I did that?'

'Because you wanted us to work together…' Lily mumbled gloomily.

'Because YOU are the most valuable thing to me- all of you are'

Lily could see a strain of quilt creep onto the faces of her brothers.

'There are more important, more dangerous battles being fought right now than the silly ones you lot have created over wands and dueling titles and quidditch matches'

Lily wondered whether the battles her father was referring to included the one he was fighting against the mysterious outbreak of Noirmorter.

'So I suggest you pull your heads in and start using what I gave you to help each other rather than to start fights'

'So then Lily ought to give the wand back to James' Albus mumbled, missing the point entirely.

'I gave it to her' James retorted testily from across the room.

'Well that's a bit of a waste isn't it? The wand that killed Voldemort in the possession of someone who can't even use it properly!' Albus exclaimed in annoyance.

'The wand that…what?' Harry spluttered with a frown.

'Albus- don't you dare! Don't you dare say it-' Lily begged wide eyed. But Albus couldn't be stopped.

'She hasn't been able to produce a spell with a wand since she got here! Everyone knows it!'

'You said you wouldn't tell dad- you promised!' Lily cried, her hands curling into fists. A number of strange metal objects that Professor McGonagall kept on her desk rattled and fell to the floor as Lily's temper rose. Harry calmly bent down to pick them up.

'She's hardly even a witch!' Albus spat.

'I was witch enough to beat your sorry arse' Lily snapped. A few of the books on the bookcases around her flew off their shelves and onto the floor.

'A fluke!' Albus cried. 'A fluke which will cost Hogwarts the Championship next year-!'

'ALBUS! ENOUGH!' Harry bellowed.

There was silence as Harry regained his composure. He quickly flicked his wand and levitated the pile of fallen books back up and into place.

'First of all- that isn't the wand that defeated Voldemort' he said flatly.

'What?' Albus and James exclaimed in unison.

'But- but I thought… I told everyone…' James stammered.

'I never said it was' Harry pointed out. 'I gave it to you because it served me well all my life, not because it helped me in one single battle'

James and Albus looked at each other taken aback. All that fighting had been over a wand that wasn't even what they thought it was.

'And secondly- I already know Lily. Of course I do'

'But- all this time?' Lily said aghast.

'Your mother and I have been… well we were worried about you. We knew you were a bit different. We've known that since you were a child. But nobody, not even Montespan, could tell us what it was that made you so' Harry explained calmly.

'But- you could have warned me' Lily said quietly. 'You could have told me I might not be able to do what everyone else can'

'We didn't want to discourage you from trying. We weren't sure- and we still aren't sure about whether or not you can use a wand.'

'The answer is she can't' Albus muttered unhelpfully.

'Just shut up for a moment Albus' Harry snapped making Albus pout sulkily and James snicker.

'The point is- you need to keep trying Lily. Professor Longbottom was never good with a wand when we were at school either, but he's gotten much better'

'I am trying' moaned Lily taking the Phoenix feather wand out of her pocket and looking down at it skeptically. Would it ever truly work for her?

'James, Albus' Harry turned to look at the boys now with a stern expression.

'Antioch Peverell. Emeric the Evil. Egbert the Egregious. Barnabas Deverill. Gellert Grindelwald' Harry listed off each name with great gravity.

James, Albus and Lily looked around at each other in confusion.

'Do you have any idea what these wizards have in common?' their father asked.

'They were evil?' James asked hesitantly.

'They all died because someone coveted their wand; the Elder Wand'

Albus and James shifted uncomfortably.

'They murdered others for a wand and they were murdered for a wand. Their desire for power and glory lead them to their graves'

Lily saw Albus swallow and his face pale.

'Are those the kind of wizards that you two want to be?'

The two boys were silent but Harry waited. He wanted an answer.

'Well?'

'No dad' James said loudly from across the room.

Albus remained quiet for a moment, looking at his hands with what Lily could only guess was a feeling of shame.

'No dad' he repeated quietly.

'Good' said Harry with an air of finality.

'Because if I hear of any of you pointing your wands, or raising your hands or, for Merlin's sake, throwing food at each other again then I shall make sure that you receive a Howler a day for the rest of the year from your grandmother. Got it?'

James winced, having already been the recipient of a Grandma Molly Howler for his mischief on more than one occasion.

Just then there was a knock at the door and Professor McGonagall returned.

'Well? Have we all come to an understanding?' She asked sharply.

'Yes Professor' James, Albus and Lily recited dutifully.

'Good- and their punishment?'

All eyes flew to Harry.

'I think helping the house elves to cook for an hour a day for the rest of the month should teach them the importance of not wasting a delicious meal that someone has prepared for them, don't you Professor?'

A feint smile had formed on Harry's lips as he spoke.

'Indeed I think it would Mr Potter' the Headmistress agreed.

 

Starting a food fight in the middle of the Great Hall had certainly not helped to take any of the focus off of Lily. And it didn't help that the news of the Potter children's punishment had spread like Fiendfyre around the castle.

Poppy in particular seemed to find it incredibly amusing that Lily was spending every evening down in the kitchen with the house elves helping to prepare dinner. She would let Lily know loudly in front of the other second year Gryffindors when she thought the potatoes were a little undercooked or the soup needed more salt.

'Winner of the Whisk! Queen of the Kitchen! Goddess of the Grill! the Slytherin students would snicker when Lily walked past.

Each day Lily felt herself empathizing more and more with Lysander's choice of Hogwarts express compartment. Most days she wanted nothing more than to shut herself up in a dark cleaning potions closet to get away from all the giggles and stares.

Lily found a secluded spot underneath one of the bridges on the north side of the castle and began to sneak there with Fides to think and watch the sunset before heading off to kitchen duties each evening. One of the advantages of being in possession of the Marauders Map was that she was able to figure out what parts of the castle grounds were the most secluded and to plot a course to get to them.

Getting to this particular spot involved sneaking through a tunnel, the entrance of which was located behind a curtain in one of the old unused classrooms in the dungeons.

The tunnel came out at an extremely steep grassy slope that lead down from the outer castle walls to the edge of the lake. It was covered over from above by the wooden bridge, meaning that even if someone was flying around surveying the grounds on a broom, Lily would not be easily found. And, unless someone was crazy enough to attempt to swim across this wide section of the lake, then the only way to the slope was through the tunnel.

Lily sat that afternoon with Fides on her lap patting him absentmindedly and staring out at the shimmering lake.

Since her father's admonishment to James and Albus about wizards who had died for the elder wand the two seemed to have cooled down and were now being cordial to one another- though perhaps in James' case that had more to do with the threat of Howlers from their grandmother.

Though things were undoubtedly still awkward between them, Lily felt that Albus was finally acting more like himself towards her again. Having to spend part of every evening in the kitchen together meant that they couldn't avoid talking to one another. Lily even wondered if that had been part of her father's reason for choosing the punishment.

Not wanting to ruin things again, Lily didn't bring up the duel. If it meant that she could get the normal Albus back, Lily decided that she would never mention it ever again.

'Lily…'

Lily jumped at the sound of her name being called, throwing Fides off her lap and loosing her balance on the precarious slope. Fides flew to the side and landed on all fours with an angry hiss, but Lily went skidding down the grass on her back. Luckily she managed to stick her heels into the muddy ground just before the waters edge and stop herself from falling into the lake.

She looked up from her position lying on the ground.

Scorpius was standing over her with a worried expression on his face. He appeared to have run down the slope to try to catch her.

'Didn't mean to scare you' he said awkwardly and held out a hand to help her get up.

'How on earth did you find me?' Lily blurted out with a frown. She didn't mean to sound unwelcoming but she had been sure this was the one place no-one, not even Alasdair, would be able to find.

'Your cat took me here yesterday. He kept jumping in my path, not letting me get to the Great Hall until I'd followed him here. It was a bit confusing seeing as there was nothing here yesterday' he said with his hand still extended. He looked a little embarrassed that she hadn't accepted it and went to pull it away but Lily quickly rolled onto her knees and grabbed it.

He pulled her up and for a moment they held onto each other trying to steady their balance.

'Fides!' Lily yelled up the slope sternly. Fides was sitting cleaning his paws indifferently.

'I needed to make sure  _someone_  knew how to find you. What if you caught Noirmorter again whilst here?' He meowed back lazily.

Lily shook her head and tutted at him. He could have at least warned her.

'What'd he say?' Scorpius asked curiously.

'He said he's a stupid, unloyal cat and he's got flees' Lily said sulkily.

'So ungrateful' Fides yowled.

Scorpius watched Lily argue with her cat some more with raised eyebrows.

'Well anyway, I can go now- I just wanted to see why he'd taken me here…' Scorpius said turning to head back up the slope.

'No, it's fine. Stay' Lily grabbed the back of his robes, almost causing him to tumble backwards.

The pair sat down to ensure that they didn't skid further down and into the lake.

'So, the dueling tournament-' Scorpius began to say.

'What dueling tournament?' Lily shot back with feigned ignorance.

'Just wanted to say I told you so' Scorpius smirked.

'Told me what?' Lily said sharply. Surely nobody could have expected the tournament to play out the way it had.

'That you could win' he said as though it were obvious.

'Ah'

He must have been the only one in the school to have thought such a thing.

'You don't seem all that happy about it' Scorpius said pointedly.

'My brother has been acting weird' Lily mumbled.

'Yeah, he tried to kill you' Scorpius said bluntly.

'No he didn't!' Lily shot back in annoyance.

Scorpius raised his eyebrows again and gave her a meaningful look.

'That's the second time someone has tried to kill you this year' he said ignoring her glare.

'No wonder your cat is worried about you'

'What are you trying to say? That Albus cast Noirmorter on me?' Lily scoffed.

'Not necessarily. But there is a bit of a pattern isn't there?' Scorpius's eyebrows were knit with worry.

'What do you mean?' Lily asked.

'Raleigh is in the tower when you get Noirmorter. Albus is being taught how to duel by Raleigh' Scorpius seemed surprised that she hadn't made the connection.

But in truth she had; she just hadn't wanted to think about it.

'You think Professor Raleigh put him up to it? Convinced him to duel me?'

Scorpius shrugged.

'If he's that easy to convince then it's not Raleigh's fault that he did it. But maybe the Professor used more forceful measures to persuade him'

'What, like the Imperius Curse?' Lily asked skeptically.

'He was there looking over him the whole time so it's possible…' Scorpius was looking out at the lake, deep in thought as he spoke.

'No' said Lily glumly.

'I have to admit- that did cross my mind. But Albus… he doesn't regret any of it. If it were the imperius curse then he would at least be sorry about it when he snapped out of it'

'Hmm' Scorpius said thoughtfully. His theory seemed to end there.

They fell into silence.

'You don't like Raleigh either?' Lily asked. It was the first time anyone had shown any sort of support towards Lily's bad feelings towards him.

'I don't know. I can't read him very well' Scorpius admitted. 'But maybe you ought to get your ghost friend to keep an eye on their dueling lessons' he suggested.

'Raleigh is still teaching him how to duel?' Lily asked surprised. 'Even though he won't be in the championship next year?'

'It seems like it. From what I've seen' Scorpius replied.

Lily looked out again at the water. Even Scorpius knew more about what was going on with her brother than she did at this point. Being in the same year and in many of the same classes with him she supposed it was only natural, but it made her feel a little lonely somehow.

'So now that you're Winner of the Wand and Queen of the Snitch you don't study anymore?' Scorpius said in a teasing drawl, breaking the silence.

'What?' Lily was taken aback.

'You haven't been… coming to the library'

'Oh that'

Lily felt that it was curious that he had even noticed her absence. Up until now she had always been the one to go to the table behind the restricted section seeking him out. And she had often felt that she was bothering him with her presence.

'I've had extra Quidditch practice to get used to Seeking and then I've had to be in the kitchens most evenings so…'

Whilst it was true that she had been busy, that wasn't entirely the reason.

After the dueling tournament Lily had been watched wherever she went; students from all years and houses would approach her in the corridors to comment on her miraculous victory or else ask how she had done it. In the back of her mind, Lily knew that one of the reasons she had avoided the library was because she didn't want to be seen sneaking behind the restricted section to the table they always shared. Not many people seemed to know about that area of the library and somehow Lily felt it was important to keep it that way.

But she realized now, with a pang of guilt that hadn't been entirely considerate of her. She had been the one who had told Scorpius to go there to talk to her if he needed to. Only a few months had passed since she had seen him crying under the tree and he didn't seem to have many people to talk to about the loss of his mother.

She felt ashamed at how focused she had been on her own problems.

'How are you?' Lily blurted out abruptly.

'Aren't you supposed to ask that at the beginning of a conversation?' Scorpius chuckled.

At least he seemed well enough to laugh, she supposed. But he had avoided answering.

After an awkward few moments of silence Scorpius folded his arms and turned to look over at her.

'Are  _you_  okay?'

'Fine. Just wishing I was still a squib' Lily replied sourly.

'You were never a squib' Scorpius pointed out.

'Yeah but everyone thought I was. Maybe it was better that way' she was thinking of all the attention she had been receiving and the rift it had created between her and Albus.

'It's easier when people have low expectations of you' Scorpius agreed.

Lily looked sideways at him. It seemed like everyone she knew had low expectations of Scorpius, without even truly knowing him. But she didn't believe that had made things easier for him.

'Montespan expects great things from you' she remarked.

'I thought we were talking about you'

Scorpius shook his head at her. But she thought she could see a glimmer of a smile on his lips.

'What's your favorite food?' Lily asked abruptly.

Scorpius frowned at the sudden change of topic.

'Go on, tell me' she urged him.

'Tomato'

'That's an ingredient, not a food' Lily protested.

'Well okay then- tomato _soup_? Happy now?' Scorpius shot back incredulously.

'Yes' she said standing up and beginning to clamber up the slope.

'Good night then' she called from the tunnel entrance.

He watched her go in bewilderment.

That evening, as the Hogwarts students dug into their daily dinner feast, Lily ignored Scorpius's furtive glances from the Hufflepuff table.

She would never admit that she had had anything to do with the sudden addition of tomato soup to menu.


	42. A Gift for a Hufflepuff

Scorpius asked me to give this to you'

Lysander had come over to find Lily during lunch the day before the start of the Christmas holidays. Many of the students were up in their dormitories still packing their trunks, so the Gryffindor table was sparse.

He thrust his hand into his pocket and rifled around looking for something. After a few moments, he pulled his hand out again and dropped something onto the table in front of her.

It was a dead sparrow.

'Oh wait- no that's not it' Lysander said absentmindedly sticking his hand into his pocket again.

'Has that been in there all this time?' Lily asked aghast, recognizing it as the bird the Whomping Willow had killed in front of them several months ago.

Lysander pulled a number of other strange objects out of his pocket including a trumpet like contraption that was whistling loudly, a few rocks and an assortment of fruits before finally finding what he was looking for.

It was a crumpled up piece of parchment.

In delicate cursive it read;

'Thanks for the soup'

Lily looked up at her dreamy-eyed friend.

'He could have just told me that himself' she said bemused.

'That's what I said to him' Lysander agreed. 'But I think he thinks talking to you in front of everyone else would cause some kind of a stir. You know, because everyone sees you as the daughter of the boy who lived, whereas everyone sees him as the death eaters son who might cast an unforgivable curse on them'

Lysander was always very good at saying things exactly as they were, no matter how uncomfortable they made people.

'But that was just an empty threat he made to Carrow' Lily sighed.

'Also he seemed worried you wouldn't like the attention' Lysander added.

Lily wondered whether her comments from the other day about wishing she were still a squib had made him think that way or whether he had always thought that. Now that she thought back on it, the only time he had ever spoken to her was when they were alone.

'Do you think he is doing okay?' Lily asked Lysander. She knew that Lysander had continued to follow him around and buddy up with him in their shared classes despite Scorpius' reluctance to accept his friendship.

'No he seems very sad' Lysander replied as blunt as ever. 'He goes to class and he studies a lot- Montespan gives him extra homework about healing spells and potions I think. But every so often, when he thinks no one is looking his face goes all gloomy and he stares off into the sky as though searching for something.'

Lily was beginning to realize that she would need to do a lot more than give Scorpius soup if she was going to try to help him.

'And he said he's staying here for the holidays' Lysander remarked.

'What? Why?' Lily asked sharply.

'I don't know. But I suppose if I had lived all my life in a place with a person I loved and then they were suddenly gone forever, I might not want to go back there either'

'But he'll be here… all alone'

The thought of it made Lily's heart pang with sympathy.

'He wouldn't have to be alone' Lysander said with a knowing look at Lily.

Lily looked thoughtfully back at him for a few moments before getting up from her seat. She walked to the spot further up the table where Johnathan and James were eating their lunch.

'James, could you tell dad when you get home that I've decided to stay here for the holidays?'

'What?' James let his fork fall onto the plate he had been eating off with a clatter.

'But you'll miss out on the Christmas party at the Burrow and the Christmas Eve dinner at Thiramard-'

'I know but-'

'And Teddy will be disappointed not to see you. Not to mention  _dad_. Dad is going to have a right sulk when he hears you chose Hogwarts over seeing him'

It was no secret that Harry was very fond of his youngest child and only daughter. Though it had already been over a year, he was still often caught moping about not being able to see her as much since she had begun Hogwarts.

'Just tell him I've decided to stay here so that I can practice using my wand over the holidays' Lily instructed James.

'If you're sure you want to…' James replied uncertainly.

Truth be told, Lily too felt a little sad that she wouldn't be seeing her father or the rest of her many relatives. It would be the first Christmas she had ever spent apart from them. Even James and Albus, who had been at Hogwarts longer than she, had never spent a holiday away from home.

But Lily didn't let herself dwell on that.

Scorpius had already done so much for her- and she wanted to repay him.

 

Early on Christmas morning, Lily stood by the tapestry of dancing trolls on the seventh flour corridor with Lysander by her side.

She took out Ron's list of  _Things we are not to tell the children about_  and ticked off 'The Room of Requirement'.

'We've only got four left' Lysander remarked happily.

Lily, who could imagine the expression Uncle Ron might make if he ever found out they were using it as a 'To Do' list, chuckled.

A door had appeared in front of them that was decorated with a festive Christmas wreath of red and gold leaves.

But before they could open it there was a loud 'crack' and a house elf appeared beside them in the corridor. She was wearing a pink and white striped dress with the Hogwarts Kitchen Elf badge pinned to her chest and held a wicker basket that was unreasonably large in comparison to her small stature.

'Lysander, this is Nuala. We worked in the kitchen together. Nuala, this is my best friend Lysander' Lily said, introducing them.

'How do you do Miss Nuala?' Lysander said politely with a little bow.

'Good thank you Master Lysander' Nuala replied, seeming a little taken aback but pleased at his good manners.

'I've brought the Christmas hamper you requested Mistress Potter'

Nuala turned to Lily and opened the lid of the wicker basket she was holding. Inside was a feast of hams, fruit mince pies, berries, roast vegetables and cauldron cakes amongst other delicious looking treats.

'Thank you Nuala, that's perfect' Lily gushed bending down to give the small elf a tight hug.

'Merry Christmas Mistress Potter' Nuala said warmly before disapparating with another loud crack.

'You've made good friends with the house elves' Lysander pointed out cheerfully.

'Trust me- house elves are much easier to get along with than witches and wizards' Lily snickered.

She gingerly put a hand to the knob of the door that had appeared and turned it. It would be her first time using the Room of Requirement on purpose and she wasn't sure if it would work how she hoped it would. Her encounter with the Half-Blood Prince there in her first year felt like a strange and distant dream now.

The door opened into the most dazzling room Lily had ever seen; the Christmas decorations rivaled even those that the Potter family had at their Thiramard home each Christmas Eve.

The walls were lined with bright red Poinsettia flowers. A roaring fireplace on the far wall flickered invitingly, its mantle decorated with mistletoe. Beautiful deep red and green rugs lined the floor and there was a large arched window through which they could see the snow-covered grounds below.

But most importantly there was a huge, bauble covered Christmas tree at the centre of the room.

Lily set about taking all the food out of the basket and laying it out on one of the rugs while Lysander expected the tree excitedly. He discovered a flock of golden pixies hiding in the branches which flew off emitting streams of sparkling glitter around the room.

'But I mean- is she alright? She hasn't been cursed again has she?'

Lily heard the sound of Scorpius's voice on the other side of the door and stopped what she was doing.

'Just go in there and you'll see' Alasdair could be heard replying impatiently in his thick Scottish accent.

The doorknob slowly twisted open and some of Scorpius's delicate white-blonde hair appeared through the crack as he peered suspiciously in.

'Merry Christmas!' Lysander exclaimed. He ran forward, thrust the door fully open and pulled Scorpius in.

Scorpius was wearing grey and blue striped Pajama's and his hair was ruffled up as though he'd just got out of bed. He had Fides in his arms and was looking around the room in awe.

His wandering eyes stopped when they found Lily standing on the opposite end of the room with a plate of fruit mince pies in her hands.

'Merry Christmas' Lily said nervously.

'What- how did you? What?' Scorpius spluttered in confusion.

'We're having a Christmas party!' Lysander threw his hands up in excitement.

'I can see that…' Scorpius said slowly, looking at the huge tree and the roaring fireplace with a blank face.

'Okay well… since it looks like you're alright… have fun'

Scorpius placed Fides carefully down on the floor and turned to walk back towards the door.

'It's for you, you great diddy!'

Alasdair put his hands out to stop Scorpius but they went straight through him, causing him to shudder.

'We asked Alasdair and Fides to go fetch you from the Hufflepuff common room because we wanted you to join' Lily explained quickly.

Scorpius just stared back at her blinking in astonishment.

'Not very good with surprises is he?' Fides meowed, butting his head affectionately into Scorpius's ankle.

'What? You got better plans Mr Malfoy?' Alasdair asked gruffly.

'No…' Scorpius managed to mumble finally.

'Then sit down and have a pie' Alasdair instructed forcefully.

Scorpius quickly walked forward to avoid having Alasdair's ushering hands go through him again.

Lily went over to him with the plate, worried about how uncomfortable he looked.

But before she had made it all the way to him there was a loud rattling sound as the window shook. On the other side, Weebles could be seen furiously flapping his wings to stay alight, pecking at the glass with his beak.

He was laden down by a huge sack that was tied to his foot.

Lily wordlessly handed Scorpius the plate of pies to hold and quickly ran over to open the window and let Weebles in.

The poor owl tumbled in so quickly that he flew straight into the huge Christmas tree, sending the sack flying open. Dozens of brightly wrapped Christmas presents fell out and scattered across the floor.

Then from the open window a beautiful, large beaked Emerald Toucanet flew in carrying three presents which were all wrapped in old copies of The Quibbler. Lysander ran forward excitedly to collect them off the multi-colored bird which squawked loudly and flew around his head with just as much enthusiasm.

Finally a large black raven swooped in with one very large and one very small package in either talon. Both were wrapped in plain brown paper and tied with string. Scorpius lifted up his arm so that the raven could land on it and with his other free hand picked up the two packages it had dropped onto the floor.

Lily felt quite self-conscious as she picked up present after present. She had an absolute mountain of them in comparison to Lysander's three and Scorpius's two. There were presents not only from her parents and brothers but also from her aunts, uncles, grandparents and cousins- and, of course, from Teddy. Her family appeared to have gone all out in getting her gifts due to the fact that she wasn't there to join them this year.

Lysander grabbed Scorpius by the arm and rushed over to sit by the tree with his presents. The boys waited patiently as she picked up the last of her presents and pushed the pile over to where they were. Lysander looked like he might burst with excitement so Lily encouraged him to open his first.

He had one from each his mother, his father and from Lorcan.

Lily and Scorpius looked on in confusion as he opened the gifts from his parents; he had received a strange telescope-like instrument which made a beeping sound intermittently and a pot of some kind that changed shape when touched. Lily couldn't quite tell exactly what they were or what on earth they might be used for but Lysander looked incredibly pleased with them both.

Next he opened up the present from Lorcan. Lily was astonished to see that it was a long sender wand with intricate patterns engraved into the grip.

'Lorcan made it himself!' Lysander exclaimed proudly, reading the card that had come with it. His large bulbous eyes examined the engravings with interest.

'He made a wand? Is that- is that possible?' Lily asked without thinking. As soon as the words had left her mouth she felt a pang of guilt for unnecessarily pointing out Lorcan's lack of magical abilities.

'There's no core' Lysander responded happily, seemingly untroubled by her question. He lifted up the wand to show Lily a small hole that ran all the way through it.

'He's whittled the wood so that I can add one in later myself'

'That's really amazing' Scorpius remarked, taking the wand from Lysander and looking at it closely.

It was the first time he had spoken since their surprise had been sprung on him and Lily felt somehow relieved.

She looked over at the large present in brown paper next to Scorpius. It had a tag attached that simply read; 'To S, From D'. It was long and thin and she had a hunch that she might know what it was.

'You should open that one next' she urged him, hoping that she was right.

Scorpius, who looked much less enthusiastic, opened up the brown paper to reveal a sleek, silver broom.

Lily let out a squeal at the same time as Scorpius groaned.

It was a Nimbus 3000. Lily could hardly believe her eyes. This broom was state of the art and she'd only ever seen photos of it in quidditch magazines.

But Lily's surprise didn't end there; she gasped noticing an engraving on the handle.

'That's Hildegarde Lafarge's signature! That's  _Hildegarde Lafarge's broom_!' She yelled grabbing Scorpius by the shoulders and shaking him in her excitement.

'..Who?' Scorpius looked back at her blank faced.

'What do you mean 'who'?' Hildegarde Lafarge! Only the greatest Chaser to have ever flown! My mum went up against her once when she versed France in the Quidditch Cup semi-finals and she-'

Lily stopped. Scorpius's expression had gone dark.

'What's wrong?'

Scorpius tutted and covered the broom back up in the paper.

'We can't afford this. Someone must have brought it into the shop to exchange for another item. Father should be selling this so that we can finally fix up the house but instead he's given it to me even though I can't use it'

But of course, Lily remembered. Scorpius was afraid of heights.

'Doesn't he know you don't like flying?' She asked him hesitantly.

'He's hoping I'll get over it' Scorpius muttered with a sour face.

There was an awkward silence in which Lysander began to pick up and shake some of Lily's presents in his impatience to find out what was inside. Lily told him to help her open them, which he did so with much enthusiasm.

Lily herself picked one up and started to open it. It was from her Uncle George and turned out to be all the things her mother had confiscated from her when he had given them to her in the hospital wing. As she inspected the mysterious glowing green putty again, her eyes darted over to see if Scorpius was still in a bad mood. He looked somewhat better but Lily couldn't help but notice that he had left the small present untouched by his side.

Like the large present, it too had a tag only this one read 'To S, From L'.

'Aren't you going to open that one?' Lily asked curiously.

'No point' Scorpius muttered back. 'It'll just be some kind of Slytherin memorabilia. Last year I got a watch and the year before that it was some gloves decorated with the Slytherin house emblem'

'But you're in Hufflepuff' Lily pointed out in confusion.

' _I_  know that' Scorpius sniggered. 'But my grandfather doesn't'

'He- what?' Lily dropped the green putty in surprise. 'But how could he not know? This is your third year-'

'He just kind of assumed I'd be in Slytherin… didn't even ask about the sorting afterwards. Then my father thought it would be best not to tell him so we just kind of went along with it' Scorpius explained.

'and...Father has gotten into the habit of transfiguring my robes so that when I'm at home he doesn't notice'

Lily gaped at him. Was it really such a sin to be in a different house to Slytherin in the Malfoy family?

'so you can have it' Scorpius said lightly, tossing her the small parcel.

'What?' Lily stared at him. 'But don't you-?'

'I don't want it' Scorpius confirmed in a moody tone.

'Oh but- I don't have anything for…' Lily began to protest before her eyes fell on a lumpy present beside her and an idea hit her.

'You can have this then' she said throwing Grandma Molly's present to him. He caught it with both hands and looked back at her hesitantly.

'It's  _always_  a hand-made jumper and it's  _always_  too big so it should fit you okay' Lily said with a smile.

'Alright- thanks' Scorpius agreed, though he still looked uneasy.

Lily looked down at the brown parcel he had thrown to her. It was small enough to fit in her palm. She opened up the paper carefully and saw a shimmer of silver and emerald.

It was a locket and, as Scorpius had predicted, it had the Slytherin house emblem encrusted onto it in stunning green gems.

Lily held it up in front of her face in awe. It was beautiful.

But it was also the most expensive looking present Lily had ever received and she realized suddenly that after hearing Scorpius's comment about the broom that there was no way she could accept it.

Her head shot up and she opened her mouth to tell Scorpius this but stopped at the sight of his face.

Scorpius had opened the package from Grandma Molly but sat frozen still with his hands inside the wrapping looking down at whatever it was with a face flushed brighter than the tomato soup Lily had made for him. Lily awkwardly grabbed the card that had fallen out of the wrapping onto the floor and read it with a frown.

' _Dear Lily,_

_I noticed you've been growing into quite the young lady recently. This is a marvelous piece that any girl your age should own- it's been enchanted to grow as you do!_

_Much love,_

_Grandma'_

'That doesn't look like a jumper' Lysander said loudly, looking over Scorpius's shoulder at the gift.

Lily quickly grabbed the corner of the wrapping and attempted to pull the present towards her. But to her horror, the contents tumbled out in a flash of white cotton and a tag that read;

' _Madam Malvo's Marvelous Magnifying Brassiere_ '

Lily looked over at Scorpius's flushed face in alarm and felt her own face grow hot as she did. She caught his eye and they stared at one another in embarrassment for a beat before Scorpius's mouth twitched and he burst out laughing.

'Here take this back, it's too expensive anyway- we can trade back' Lily said hotly, trying to force the Locket into his hand.

But Scorpius wouldn't take it. Lily had never seen him laugh so hard. He struggled to get any words out, wheezing with laughter.

'No way- you- gave me- this- I gave you that.'

Lily made a dive for the brassiere but he swept it up out of her grasp and wrapped it back up in the paper.

She glared at him in outrage. What was he even going to use it for? It was obvious from the smirk on his face that he was just doing this to watch her squirm.

Well she wouldn't give him that satisfaction, she thought defiantly.

Lily slipped the chain of the locket over her head and let it hang around her neck.

'Fine. I'm taking this though' She said with a challenging look.

'It's yours' Scorpius said indifferently, still trying to catch his breath.

In order to prove just how much she didn't care anymore, Lily grabbed a cauldron cake in each hand and began wolfing them down with narrowed eyes flickering in Scorpius's direction. Lysander had started eating whilst they had been arguing and was already half way through a plate of roast chicken.

Seeing Scorpius start to eat as well, Alasdair let out a sigh.

'Oh yes, _parties_. Must be fun when you're still alive. You can eat and get presents and all that. Very grand- very grand indeed'

Alasdair's tone gave away his displeasure in an instant.

'But just remember that you can't take any of that with you when you die' he added with a jerk of his head towards Lily's pile of presents.

'Thanks for that Alasdair' Lily said sarcastically. 'You're really in the Christmas spirit I see'

'I am actually!' Alasdair said ignoring Lily's tone. 'In fact I even brought a present'

'Huh?' Lily blurted out with her mouth full of cake. The last time Alasdair had given her a present she had almost been expelled.

'I don't want it' Lily protested as Alasdair stuck his hand into the breast pocket of his vest in search of something.

'Well that's good because it's not for you' Alasdair replied testily.

'It's the perfect present for a Hufflepuff' He announced taking out an envelope and holding it out to Scorpius.

Lily looked from Alasdair's hand to Scorpius's cautious face and back again. She had a terrible feeling about this.

Scorpius slowly lifted up his hand and took the envelope. He opened it up carefully and took out a bundle of folded paper.

Lily watched him unfold the papers and begin to read with interest.

Then she spied the sight of very beautiful and very familiar cursive letters handwritten onto them.

'ALASDAIR!' Lily shot up off the ground onto her feet.

Scorpius jolted in surprise.

'You- You said! You said you'd put them back!' Lily seethed at Alasdair through grit teeth.

'Well I was going to. But then I realized that would be a stupid thing to do and I would likely be caught. So I didn't' Alasdair responded with folded arms and a defiant tone.

'All this time? ALL THIS TIME?' Lily's voice broke in exasperation. 'They've been in your  _pocket_  all this time?!'

'yep' Alasdair nodded.

Lily ran at him with her palms raised and began thrashing her arms through his ghostly figure.

'Gahh!' Lily threw her arms back down by her sides in frustration. She'd achieved nothing but make her arms cold.

'I could've been expelled Alasdair!' She cried, appealing to him with a pained face.

'But you weren't' Alasdair pointed out quickly. 'And it's been a year since then. If the Headmistress was going to expel you she would have by now'

Lily slowly exhaled, but she continued to glare at him.

'I'll take them back myself' she announced.

She strode over to where Scorpius sat still engrossed in their content.

Lily put out a hand to snatch the pages from him but to her surprise he quickly moved them out of her reach.

'This is Helga Hufflepuff's diary?' Scorpius asked looking wide eyed at her. It appeared he'd noticed the signature.

'Yes' Lily confirmed impatiently, trying to get close enough to take them off him.

'It mentions the black death' Scorpius said pointing to a spot on the page.

Lily was silently impressed that he had managed to decipher that much Old English without the help of Lysander's Lingualatis.

'It mentions more than that' Alasdair floated over to speak directly into Scorpius's ear.

'It mentions how to  _stop_  the Black Death- how to stop  _Noirmorter_ '

Scorpius looked over his shoulder at Alasdair's face in astonishment.

'Haven't learnt that in your lessons with the unlicensed Healer have we?' Alasdair said back with a smile, his eyebrows raised.

'How?' Scorpius' eyes shot back to the pages trying to decipher more.

'By becoming animagus-' Lysander piped up suddenly. He was still sitting on the floor near the tree opening up Lily's presents.

' _Lysander_ -' Lily said warningly. It wasn't that she didn't trust Scorpius. But she wasn't sure that it would be advisable to let anyone else know about their plans.

'-by becoming animagus- and then performing a special blood oath in our animal form' Lysander finished innocently.

Lily closed her eyes and sighed. They'd just told Scorpius everything. Would this really be alright?

'You should join us' Lysander added enthusiastically. Lily's eyes shot open and her lips parted.

'Yeah we're short on Hufflepuffs' Alasdair joked. 'But if you join we'll have the full house set'

'You mean… you're actually, seriously planning on trying to become animagus?' Scorpius asked incredulously. He looked up at Lily for an answer but she avoided his eyes.

Maybe he thought she wouldn't be able to do it, Lily thought cynically. She couldn't blame him- she didn't have a good track record when it came to using magic on purpose.

'We'll be starting in four weeks'

Lysander had pulled out the incredibly detailed schedule he had made and was handing it to Scorpius to look at. Lily hadn't even known that he had finished it.

'I'd never even thought that a blood pact might be able to prevent curses' Scorpius said with a frown.

'I spent all of first and second year reading through books on curses and healing charms but nowhere had any mention of blood pacts as a preventative measure'

'Well in my experience- which by the way is centuries longer than any of yours- the strongest magic usually can't be found in textbooks' Alasdair declared.

Scorpius held up the pages up to look closer. He was obviously intrigued.

'Right- but first I need to take back those pages back' Lily attempted to grab them from out of Scorpius's hands.

'No I'll hang onto them' Scorpius said quickly, moving them out of her reach again.

'If I have them, you won't be the one to be expelled' He pointed out folding them up and putting them out of sight in the safety of his pyjama pocket.

Lysander moved forward and pulled the Lingualatis out of his own seemingly bottomless pocket.

'It'll be easier to read that with this' he said handing it to Scorpius with a smile.

Lily groaned.

This was not the Christmas she had expected.


	43. Lost Leaves

Four weeks later, Lily, Lysander, Alasdair and Scorpius sat on the floor in the Shrieking shack looking down into the hole in the floorboards. Lysander put a hand in and pulled out a jar of mandrake leaves.

'For a full month?' Lily asked uneasily, looking at Lysander.

'For a full month' Lysander confirmed.

'Better get used to eating though a straw' Alasdair warned cheerfully. He seemed to be enjoying this.

'Easy for you to say- you can't even eat'

'Oi. No need to rub it in' Alasdair said testily. 'Besides, that doesn't matter. I'm not doing it'

'What?' Lily said in surprise. 'You're not doing this with us?'

'Of course not. I'm not going to be able to help make a blood pact without blood now am I?' Alasdair raised his eyebrows at her as though it had been obvious.

'So we don't need four people to do it?' Scorpius asked with concern. 'You know- like when the founders did it?'

'Dunno' Alasdair said 'But I don't see why you should'

Lily groaned. There was so much they didn't know about this blood pact. Even Alasdair, who had been around for centuries, didn't have a clue whether this would really work.

'It'll be fine' Lysander said with what Lily knew was completely unfounded confidence. He handed Scorpius and Lily a mandrake leaf each.

'This needs to stay in our mouths the whole time, even whilst we sleep. We can't swallow them or chew on them or let them come into contact with sunlight. If we do we'll need to start again'

'Piece of cake then' Scorpius muttered with an undertone of sarcasm.

Lily looked over at Scorpius apprehensively. In the week after their Christmas surprise they had spoken quite a lot in deserted corridors and classrooms. He'd had so many questions about all that he'd read in Helga Hufflepuff's diary and how they'd even got a hold of it in the first place, not to mention doubts about the logistics of finding all the necessary potions ingredients to attempt to become an animagus. Lily wasn't sure why he was so interested in the first place; of course he'd always had an interest in healing magic and the idea that a blood bond could prevent the dissemination of a curse certainly was unusual enough to peak the interest of even the most apathetic healer. But she felt like there was more to it than that. He seemed just as hesitant as he was curious.

It had been a lot easier to talk whilst it was still holidays and most of the students were away. But then they had returned and it had been over three weeks since she had seen him much less spoken to him.

But now here they were, looking into each others eyes tentatively.

'Shall we start now then?' Lysander asked, his large protruding eyes darting towards Lily for her approval. Lily looked up and around in surprise. A pair of translucent silver eyes and another set of yellow animal-like eyes were also watching her waiting for direction.

'Why're you asking me?' Lily shot back. 'You're the one who made the schedule Lysander'

'Because you're the leader' Lysander said airily, a peaceful smile on his lips.

'What? Since when?' Lily's eyes darted around self-consciously at the three very serious faces that were watching her.

'Since always' Alasdair said unhelpfully.

'You're the one who figured out that this blood bond might be able to prevent Noirmorter' Lily protested looking Alasdair in the eyes. He shrugged lightly.

She then turned to Lysander.

'And you're the one who researched all this Animagus stuff'

Lysander just blinked back serenely at her, apparently not seeing her point.

'And you-' Lily swung around to face Scorpius. 'You know the most about curses and how to stop them and all that so-'

'But you brought us all together' Lysander cut in.

'What does that matter?' Lily said sharply.

'It matters because-' Alasdair spoke up abruptly, unusually earnest.

'-Well because that's sort of the definition of a leader, isn't it- bringing people together?'

'What do you think?' Lysander asked Scorpius suddenly.

Scorpius was silent for a moment. He looked down at the floorboards as he considered it.

'I think…' He began slowly and thoughtfully. Then his eyes finally flickered up to look Lily in the face.

'I think you'd be a great leader'

Lily couldn't hold eye contact with him for more than a few moments. Her gaze darted away and she felt her ears go red.

'Fine. Let's hurry up and start then' she muttered, shoving the leaf Lysander had handed her into her mouth.

Lysander and Scorpius quickly followed suit, each placing a single mandrake leaf into their mouths and safely under their tongues as Alasdair looked on with a satisfied grin.

 

One month turned into two. Two months turned into three. Then into four.

Lysander's carefully planned out schedule was thrown into disarray.

It was mostly a matter of getting used to eating, talking and sleeping without letting sunlight into your mouth or spitting the leaf out by accident. Scorpius was doing well at first; possibly because he didn't eat as messily as Lysander or talk as much as Lily. But by the end of the first month all of them had lost their leaf in one way or another; by swallowing it along with their morning porridge or letting it slide away onto their soup spoons.

As Spring began, so did their urgency to get this ordeal over with. Lily was beginning to forget what it was like not to have to worry about keeping her tongue steady.

As they each put in a new leaf for what felt like the fiftieth time, they assured each other that this would be the last time they would start over. It would need to be as they were running out of leaves.

The first one to falter again was Lily. She knew quidditch would prove difficult. Practice had been bad enough, but being Seeker in a real match meant that she was the target of most of the well aimed swings by the beaters.

A blunger to the back of her head from the Hufflepuff team set her right back to square one.

Next it was Scorpius. He stormed in late to one of their meetings in the shrieking shack one evening to announce that he would need to start all over again.

Lily could hazard a guess of what the cause might be from the furious look on his face, but she was still appalled when she was proven right.

'Carrow' Scorpius shot through grit teeth by way of explanation.

'What's that twat done now?' Lily asked with a frown.

'Thought it would be funny to put a dead animal in my desk' Scorpius muttered, pulling out the jar from the floorboards to take out yet another leaf.

'What kind of animal?' Lily asked with dread.

Scorpius's reply was muffled. He sat crouched on the floor trying to get the new leaf into a good position under his tongue by poking around in his mouth with a finger.

'What?'

'What do you think?' Scorpius said darkly taking is finger out of his mouth and looking up at Lily.

'Not a hawk?' Lily exhaled feeling nauseous.

'It wasn't her- the coloring on the feathers was different' Scorpius muttered quickly.

'That disgusting, fowl, sorry excuse for a wizard!' Lily shot up onto her feet in outrage.

Scorpius raised a hand to calm her.

'Don't spit yours out too' he warned her.

Lily was relieved to see a wry smile on his face at her outburst of fury towards Carrow.

 

Lysander was looking like he might accomplish the task if he could just keep the leaf safely in his mouth over the Easter holidays. He had kept it in there for a whole three weeks straight which was longer than any of them had accomplished thus far.

Lily spent most of the short break trying to look like she was chewing her dinner naturally in front of her family and making up excuses for why she couldn't practice quidditch with James and Johnathan. The hardest to fool was Teddy. He always seemed to instinctively know when she was trying to hide something. In fact, he had a good eye for deception in general- perhaps being naturally gifted with the power to disguise himself had something to do with it. This gift of his often made Lily wonder why he had settled for working at the love potion section of the International Magical Trading Standards Body as opposed to trying to become an Auror like her father.

He had also been the only one to notice her new necklace. Lily always kept the locket hidden and tucked into the front of her shirt but the chain was still visible from where it hung around her neck. One morning over breakfast Teddy had sat down on the chair next to hers and swiftly took hold of the chain in between his fingertips causing her to almost swallow her mandrake leaf in surprise.

'What's this Lils?' He asked loudly, causing the rest of the family to look up with interest.

Without waiting for an answer Teddy gave the chain a tug, trying to get it out from the inside of her shirt. Lily hurriedly grabbed the fabric of the front of her shirt and the locket along with it before it could make it's way up and out of her collar.

She dropped the fork she had been holding in her other hand with a clatter and turned flustered towards Teddy.

'Quit it Teddy!' Lily exclaimed in alarm.

Teddy looked taken aback by her defensiveness and quickly released his hold on the chain. There was an awkward moment as the pair looked at each other and Harry and Ginny watched them both from over their plates of scrambled eggs.

Luckily just at that moment James came crashing into the kitchen to break the ice with Johnathan on his heals yelling about a snake in the broomshed.

'Could you go tell it to go away?' Ginny asked Harry with just a hint of mockery.

'Can't do that anymore, remember?' Harry shook his head at his wife, amused.

'What color is it?' Lily shot up off her feet feigning interest in order to get away from Teddy's hurt gaze.

Johnathan ushered her towards the back door and out towards the shed to show her. James hurried ahead yelling out exaggerations about the size of it's fangs and the deadly look in it's eyes.

Lily peered into the darkness of the shed. In the corner, scared half witless and curled up was a small grass-green snake.

'Oh you poor little thing- James must have scared you to death!' Lily exclaimed. She turned around to scoff at her elder brother's lack of Gryffindor pride in the face of such a tiny creature.

But James's face had gone truly white now and Jonathan looked just as pale with shock.

'What's the matter with you two? It's just a baby' Lily laughed. She took a step forward into the darkness of the shed and addressed the small creature.

'Just a little baby, aren't you?

The little snake raised it's head and nodded.

'My mother's gone to get some rats but she'll be back' it hissed in reply.

Lily froze. The color drained from her face and she looked back again quickly at the two stunned boys, her expression now matching theirs.

'DAD!' James yelled abruptly. 'Dad! Lily's talking to the snake!'

'No I- I wasn't- I can't-' Lily spluttered. But she could tell from Johnathan's amazed stare that she hadn't just imagined the snake's reply.

Harry came rushing out the back door with a troubled expression. He was closely followed by Ginny.

'Do you have any rats?' The little snake piped up with what Lily felt was a hopeful expression in it's eyes.

'No, I don't. I'm sorry' she muttered in response. Except that what she had intended to say and the hissing sound that she heard coming out of her mouth were utterly different.

Lily turned slowly around to look at her father. She couldn't remember a time when he had looked more distraught.


	44. The Underdog

'What're you doing here Miss Potter?'

Lily's head shot up from where it had been hanging in a state of severe despondency a few moments before. She was sitting on a bench beside a pair of grand oak office doors that had a silver plaque on them that read 'Head Healer Calderon'. But she was just as surprised to see Professor Montespan in that corridor on the top floor of St Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries as he appeared to be to see her.

'What're  _you_  doing here Sir?' Lily shot back without answering his question.

'Here to see some old friends' Montespan answered defensively.

Professor Monetspan looked very different to how he usually did at Hogwarts. Instead of the black professors robes, shirt and tie that he usually wore, he had on an old Chuddly Cannons jumper and a pair of faded jeans that were torn at the edges. Lily looked him up and down skeptically not bothering to hide how uncomfortable it made her to see her Professor dressed like he was Teddy's age.

'You know they suck don't you Sir?'

When Montespan returned her comment with a look of confusion Lily flicked her head towards his jumper indicating that she was talking about the Cannons. The Professor looked down at his chest and then back up at Lily with an expression of mock outrage.

'I like to support the underdog, okay? That alright with you Miss Potter?'

Lily shrugged. She was in a bad mood and fully aware that the Professor would be unable to take house points off of her whilst it was still Easter holidays.

Ignoring the mopey look on her face Montespan took a seat next to her on the bench.

'So- you going to tell me what you're doing outside the Head Healers office then?'

'Just waiting for my dad to come out' Lily replied, reluctant to be any more descriptive than was necessary.

'Is this about your magic again?' Montespan asked quietly with a frown. He sounded uncharacteristically concerned.

Lily let out a sigh. She preferred the old, apathetic Montespan who showed as much interest in his own students as a Goblin might towards rusty tin.

'I already told your father- I don't think there is anything wrong with you. Scorpius might be right about the Compassiomedis theory- he might not be. But either way, you've been able to use wandless magic- an incredible feat for someone your age! I really do think your magic producing reflexes may be just a little different from-'

'Oh so you care now do you Sir?' Lily cut him off with an icy glare.

Montespan looked down and sighed. Lily was shocked to see what appeared to be a flicker of shame in his eyes.

'Look- Potter. I'm sorry if I was a bit dismissive before. But I'd been warned… by certain people… not to go around giving diagnosis now that I'm not licensed- most particularly to my students'

Lily looked back at him thoughtfully, trying to digest this change in him. The old Montespan would never have referred to her and her peers as 'my students'. But she supposed that if he really didn't care at all he wouldn't have been giving up his time to tutor Scorpius. Perhaps this was the real Montespan- the person he was before becoming jaded by the Ministry's reaction to his unusual healing methods.

And perhaps- perhaps he really did like supporting the underdog, Lily thought.

Lily exhaled. In that case, she could do with his help.

'Could you give me some advice then Sir? As my professor I mean? It wouldn't have to be a diagnosis as such…'

Montespan snorted, shaking his head in amusement at her immediate willingness to make him do the exact thing he'd just told her he wasn't allowed to do.

'Yes Miss Potter, what is it?'

Lily gulped and gathered up her courage to explain the craziness of the past few hours.

'I talked to a snake' Lily began. Her eyes flickered up to gauge Montespan's reaction. A look of alarm crossed over his features before he forced it down and looked steadily back at her.

'You mean to say you spoke Parseltongue?' He asked, his voice breaking a little.

'Yes Sir. That's why we're here. My father thinks it means there's something wrong- that… maybe part of Voldemort lived on in him and was passed down to me'

'Merlin' Montespan exhaled and the colour drained from his face.

'So- so what I'm asking is-' Lily said quickly, a feeling of panic boiling up inside her at the Professor's reaction.

'-is that possible? Could I have a part of Voldemort's soul in me?'

Montespan swallowed hard and sat very still mulling it over quietly.

Lily waited with baited breath until finally he spoke again, each word very slow and deliberate.

'If any part of Voldemort's soul had lived on in your father he would not have been able to destroy Voldemort. It would mean that Voldemort was never truly killed at the end of the last war'

'Yes I think that's what he's afraid of' Lily said quietly.

'Look- I don't know a lot about horcruxes; they were never really my field. But even, in the very unlikely event that a part of Voldemort had lived on in your father, I don't think that it would be possible to pass down a part of someone's soul as though it were DNA or something. The process for making a Horcrux involves murder and a complex spell. You couldn't have been born a Horcurx just because your father was one. That just doesn't really make sense'

Lily nodded along numbly. She wanted to believe what he was saying but she knew that this was all unknown territory for even the most experienced healers.

'But- your father is the only human Horcrux that we know of that has ever existed… so it's a bit hard to say what is and isn't possible' Montespan admitted, confirming her fears.

'But my dad- he isn't a Parselmouth anymore' Lily pointed out desperately.

'Right' Montespan's eyes flickered from side to side in rapid thought.

'So if it was Voldemort's soul that had caused him to have that power in the first place, then that's a sign he stopped being a Horcrux before you were born. Which means he couldn't have 'passed it on' as such'

Lily nodded eagerly. She really wanted to believe that her father's fears were unfounded.

'So there is no one else in your family line who spoke Parseltongue?' Montespan asked hopefully.

'Because if you had a great-grandfather or something who spoke it, the gift might have been carried down as a recessive gene without anyone having realized it'

Lily shook her head slowly.

'Not that we know of. My mother's side and my father's father's side were all pureblood families with a well documented history that didn't include any mention of talking to snakes. And my father's mother was a muggleborn witch.'

'Well that is a mystery then' Montespan sighed thoughtfully.

They fell into silence for a few moments, both lost deep in thought.

'Oh Professor' Lily broke the silence, having remembered something important.

'Yes Potter?'

'Don't tell anyone about this- my dad made me promise on the way here not to tell anyone'

Montespan grinned.

'That promise lasted a long time' he teased.

Lily smirked.

'Not even going to tell Mr Malfoy then?' Montespan asked. His tone was light but he gave her a knowing look.

Lily's lips parted in surprise. She didn't think anyone besides Lysander, Fides and Alasdair knew about her friendship with Scorpius. But it seemed the Professor paid more attention to his students than he liked to admit.

Just then the oak doors burst open and out came her father followed by a very tall elderly wizard in lime green healers robes that Lily surmised must be the Head Healer, Christopher Calderon.

Calderon took one look at Montespan and let out an exasperated groan.

'For the last time Galen- I cannot give you your job back. Or any other job in this hospital. You must understand, the Ministry would not allow-'

'I'm not here for that Christopher' Montespan said quickly, flushing in embarrassment.

'I was just giving some Professorly advice to my student here. Strictly school related stuff'

Montespan gave Lily a quick pat on the back which caused Lily to turn and raise an eyebrow at him.

'Settling into your new job then?' Calderon asked looking hopeful.

'Absolutely' Montespan said with forced joviality. 'Young people are just wonderful aren't they? Of course should any new positions open up here in the future, I'd appreciate it if you'd keep me in the loop-'

Calderon shut his eyes and sighed causing Montespan's forced smile to falter.

'It's a damn shame Galen. With your talent, it really is. But you must understand that I'm not in a position to-'

'He's a terrible Professor' Lily cut across Calderon loudly. Montespan let out a small gargle of horror beside her.

'Lily!' Harry hissed at her aghast.

'He's not suited to it at all' Lily pressed on ignoring her father. 'So you should really try harder to get him his Healing job back'

Calderon's mouth twitched into a smile.

'I am Miss Potter' He said gently. 'As I said- I would take him back in a heartbeat if it were up to me'

'Good' Lily muttered her ears flushing slightly. She could feel Montespan's eyes studying her in surprise.

'I'd like to ask you a few questions now Miss Potter, if you'd be so kind as to step into my office for a moment?' Calderon turned to head back inside the oak doors, Harry on his trail.

Lily got up to follow them and as she did Montespan grabbed onto her sleeve stopping her for a moment.

'Thanks Potter' He murmured with a small smile.

'And don't worry- my lips are sealed in regards to you secrets'

Lily looked back at him carefully and nodded in gratitude.

'Secrets'; not secret…

What else did he think he knew? she wondered.

 

'But what happened?' Lily asked in disappointment.

Easter break had ended. Calderon had not been able to tell her anything Montespan hadn't already discussed with her in regards to the discovery of her ability to speak to snakes and now she was back in the Shrieking Shack with Alasdair, Lysander, Scorpius and Fides discussing the progress of their attempt to become animagi. Lily had managed to avoid having to talk about her own strange holiday by focusing on Lysander's failure to keep his mandrake leaf safely in his mouth.

Lysander sat with the spit-laden leaf on his palm. He'd apparently kept it in his pocket after having spat it out during the easter break.

'You were doing so well' Scorpius agreed, crestfallen. They had both hoped that Lysander might succeed where they had failed.

'What was it this time? A milkshake? Another bludger? Eating with your mouth open in the sun?' Alasdair asked gruffly.

'I kissed someone' Lysander said dreamily.

Lily chocked on her own leaf in surprise and began retching and coughing. She put her hands over her mouth just in time to ensure it didn't get spat out.

'Really?' Scorpius asked interested. 'What was it like? With who?'

'Really nice' Lysander reflected happily. 'We were in New York to see a breeder of Appaloosa Puffskeins, named Harvey Grimblehawk. He asked us to stay with his family for a bit and then I kind of got close to one of his children, River Grimblehawk…'

'And you didn't think snogging some lass would effect the very important project you've been keeping in your mouth for the past three weeks?' Alasdair shook his head in annoyance.

'River's not a lass… and I suppose I thought it was worth it' Lysander said serenely.

Lily caught Scorpius's eye, momentarily surprised.

'so… you like boys?' Lily asked carefully.

'Hmmm…' Lysander's eyes rolled upwards as he considered it. 'I'm not sure. I've kissed more girls than boys so…'

'That wasn't your first time?' Scorpius asked sounding rather impressed.

'What? You never mentioned- how many?' Lily demanded, suddenly curious.

'Mmmm' Lysander looked up at the ceiling and began counting in his head.

'Four girls and two boys'

Lily caught Scorpius's surprised eyes again and flushed.

'Merlin help me- how are you ever going to keep something in your mouth for a whole month if you can't keep your lips off anything that walks' Alasdair lamented.

'But if he's in New York… when will you see him again?' Lily asked concerned.

'Probably never' Lysander said peacefully. 'But it was nice at the time'

'Right…' Scorpius nodded vaguely and the room fell into silence.

Alasdair took the opportunity to take out the mandrake leaf jar and force a new leaf into Lysander's other palm with a stern look.

'No more snogging' He directed him.

'Alright' Lysander sighed.

'I got something for us' Scorpius spoke up brightly, trying to pacify the tension in the air.

He pulled out a jumble of four golden pocket watches from his bag and handed one each to Alasdair, Lily and Lysander.

'I found these in my father's shop. We can use them to communicate more easily about when to meet'

Scorpius flicked open the remaining pocket watch and whispered something to the ticking hands.

'Open them up and look' He directed the other three.

They did so and Lily's eyes widened in awe as she saw Scorpius's neat handwriting magically appear as an inscription on the inside of the lid. It read 'Meet at 5pm, next Wednesday'.

'Oh this is good' Alasdair said pleased. 'Now I won't have to be your messenger boy all the time'

They had been asking Alasdair to fly inside each of their dormitories to spread information amongst themselves about their meeting times, but with these watches he would be freed of this task.

'Won't your father notice they're missing?' Lily asked anxiously.

'There's so much stuff in that shop… I'm sure it will be fine' Scorpius said dismissively.

'And we can tell you if we see Albus going to get dueling lessons from Professor Raleigh' Scorpius said eagerly to Alasdair, indicating that he wouldn't be free of all his responsibilities.

Alasdair had spent the past few months trying to spy on Albus's one on one lessons with Raleigh. But it had been difficult. They were held very sporadically and if the door was shut before Alasdair was able to sneak in ahead he wasn't able to enter at all. He had tried to fly through the walls but found it was impossible due to all the protective spells Raleigh had put up around his office.

 

But soon enough Alasdair was relieved of that task too.

Lily was asked by her least favorite Professor to stay back one evening after Defense against the Dark Arts class. She watched Raleigh pack up his books feeling an odd sense of dread at whatever it was he might want to tell her.

He ushered for her to follow him to his office. Lily had never been in there and didn't like the idea of being in such a impenetrable fortress alone with Raleigh. She was equal parts relieved and surprised to see Albus waiting inside sitting on one of the armchairs in front of the Professor's desk.

Raleigh indicated that Lily should sit down in the other armchair and she did so slowly and suspiciously, her eyes darting around the room in search of some trap.

Raleigh sat down at the desk in front of them, folded his arms and cleared his throat.

'I have some good news' He began.

Lily tensed. She didn't know what he considered good but she had a feeling it was different to what she would define it as.

'Due to a tie between two Japanese students at Mahoutokoro's dueling tournament, it has been announced that next year's inter-school dueling championships will have two students from each school compete'

Albus sat up straight suddenly in his chair, looking hopefully towards the Professor.

'Which means that Albus- as the second place winner of Hogwarts' competition- shall be competing alongside you' Raleigh said with a smile.

Lily froze. She had mostly just been trying to keep the Championships out of her mind. That was the only alternative to worrying about how much she might embarrass herself when she was forced to compete.

She looked across at Albus. He looked incredibly happy and Lily couldn't help but feel relieved. Albus turned to look at her to see how she was reacting and she gave him a wide smile which he returned.

It was the first time he had smiled at her like that since their duel and Lily felt a flood of joy at seeing a shimmer of the Albus she remembered from her childhood shine through him.

'The tournament will be held this time next year- which means that we need to begin training as soon as possible. You will both meet me here each Thursday evening to receive approximately an hour and a half of instruction weekly. As the tournament grows closer, we shall increase the number of hours of instruction to make sure you are both prepared' Raleigh explained.

'Me too?' Lily spluttered in surprise. 'I have to come here too?'

'Of course- you are the Hogwarts' champion Miss Potter' Raleigh responded with a cocked eyebrow.

'Right..' Lily exhaled. Her stomach bubbled with nervousness.

She had thought Raleigh had wanted to keep whatever he had been teaching Albus up to this point a secret. But now she would be privy to all of it.

 

Lily rushed through the corridors trying to get to the entrance doors and out into the grounds as fast as she could. She had told Alasdair, Lysander and Scorpius to meet her in the Shrieking Shack using the magical pocket watch Scorpius had given her. She needed to tell them about the new lessons she would be taking as soon as possible and figure out a way to make sure whatever enchantment Raleigh may have used on her brother he wouldn't be able to use on her.

But as she flew past the Great Hall she was stopped abruptly by the sound of someone calling her name.

'Lily! Wait up!'

It was Johnathan. He looked concerned and rushed to stop her with a hand to her shoulder.

'Are you alright?' He asked suddenly.

Lily looked back at him confused. Had he heard about the lessons she'd be taking with Raleigh already?

'I mean. I know I'm not supposed to talk about it. But that whole thing with the snake over the holidays. That was really weird...'

Lily's shoulders relaxed in relief. So that's what he was worried about.

'So I was wondering if you were doing okay?' He finished awkwardly.

'I'm fine' Lily said lightly, painfully aware that she would be late for the meeting time she herself had set if this conversation went on too long.

'I don't think it's possible-' Johnathan whispered earnestly his hand still on her shoulder.

'-that any part of Voldemort could be inside you just because you can talk to snakes'

'Probably best to not talk about this out loud' Lily said in a hushed tone, trying to end the conversation.

Truth be told, she was better than fine about her newfound abilities. Whilst it had shocked her in the beginning Lily found a certain sense of pleasure at finally being good at something magic related- something that other people couldn't do. And more than that, she honestly enjoyed being able to speak to the snakes that she came across on the odd occasion at the edges of the forbidden forest on her way to the whomping willow. Up until this point Lily had only know the English language and a splattering of French words that she had picked up from her aunt Fleur. She thus found it thrilling to be able to communicate with a whole new species in a whole new language which had different sounds and nuances and meanings.

Snakes had a totally different view of life from witches and wizards. They lived different, more instinct lead lives and lily found them fascinating.

'Well if you ever want to talk about anything, you can always talk to me' Johnathan said with a small smile.

'Thanks John' Lily said nodding her appreciation. 'I'll see you later then'

She quickly turned on her heal and flew towards the entrance hall doors and out into the grounds, leaving Johnathan looking curiously after her.

But Lily had hardly made it a few metres across the muddy grass before she was stopped again. This time by Alasdair.

He flew out of the ground in front of her scaring her senseless.

'You didn't mention you could talk to snakes' He said slowly, with narrowed eyes.

Lily sighed.

'You were eavesdropping' she accused him.

'Yes, that's my job remember? You asked me to be an eavesdropper' Alasdair replied testily.

'On Professor Raleigh- not me!' Lily shot back in frustration. She made to walk ahead past him but was stopped in her tracks by his next words.

'All that Voldemort talk is nonsense you know' He said lazily.

'How would you know?' Lily spun around to look at him with a frown.

'Because I know why you're suddenly a Parselmouth' Alasdair declared. 'And that's not why'

Lily stepped slowly back towards him.

'So tell me' She demanded in a whisper.


	45. The Protector of Secrets

'It's that' Alasdair pointed at Lily' chest.

'Wha-?' Lily looked down at herself entirely confused.

'The locket- the one Scorpius gave you at Christmas. I knew that thing was trouble the moment I saw it. But I thought it must be a fake. Surely not the real thing… but if you're speaking to snakes then there's no other explanation-'

'Alasdair, what are you talking about?' Lily demanded. She drew her fingers up to her neck to find the chain and pulled the locket quickly out of her shirt. The jeweled 'S' encrusted in it sparkled as the orange light from the evening sunset hit it.

'Are you trying to tell me that this locket has the power to make the wearer a Parselmouth?'

Lily looked over at Alasdair as a feeling of disappointment crept up through her chest and into her throat. If this was true, then she had never been a true Parselmouth and the gift she'd thought she 'd discovered was never truly hers.

'That locket' Alasdair began slowly and gravely 'is a replica of Salazar Slytherin's Locket which was made by Corvinus Gaunt whilst I was a student at Hogwarts'

Lily blinked back at Alasdair trying to let his words sink in. The light from the sunset shone through him, turning his ghostly figure an unsettling scarlet colour.

'You mean a replica of the locket that was a Horcrux? The one that was destroyed by my uncle Ron during the war?' Lily asked looking slowly back down at the locket in her fingers with a puzzled expression.

'Yes, the very same. Corvinus was the owner of Slytherin's locket at the time and he made another just like it. It didn't have the power of the original locket of course but they look just the same in appearance'

'But why would he do that?' Lily looked back up at Alasdair with a questioning look in her eyes.

'You've heard of the Chamber of Secrets?' Alasdair asked.

'Of course' Lily responded. With her family history how could she not have?

'The owner of Slytherin's locket- that is to say the heirs of Slytherin throughout history wore that locket as a sign. It signified their position as the true heir to the other Slytherin students who feared and worshipped them. But it also signified their responsibility to look after the Chamber of Secrets'

Lily's grip on the locket tightened as Alasdair continued.

'Corvinus took that responsibility seriously. He was the one who protected the entrance to the Chamber of Secrets when plumbing was installed in Hogwarts in the 1700s. He was the only heir of Slytherin at the school at the time and as such the duty fell to him.'

'But when it came time for Corvinus to graduate he feared that in his absence the entrance to the Chamber would be found and the Chamber destroyed- renovation work was still going on and it was possible that someone might find out the entrance had been concealed in the second floor girls' lavatory'

Lily made a mental note to herself to cross off 'The location of the entrance to the Chamber of Secrets' on uncle Ron's list.

'He needed to ensure there was someone at Hogwarts protecting it until he had produced an heir and that heir had became old enough to attend Hogwarts. So he created a replica locket that would indicate his chosen one- the one who would protect the chamber in his absence.'

'Inside the jewels he inserted his own blood and with it he enchanted the locket to provide the wearer with the powers of an heir of Slytherin- the power to speak to snakes and to open the Chamber of Secrets at will'

'How do you know all this?' Lily asked suspiciously. And why hadn't he told her earlier, she wondered.

Alasdair lifted up his Slytherin tie and indicated the Slytherin house crest with his index finger.

'I told you; I was there. I was at Hogwarts when Corvinus graduated- he was a seventh year in my first. There were plenty of rumors amongst the Slytherin students about Corvinus's plans- anticipation about who he would choose. It was all anyone talked about.'

'So who did he choose?' Lily asked intrigued.

Alasdair sighed.

'I don't know' he muttered. His eyes shifted over towards the Whomping Willow. It was getting late and they would both be late to meet Scorpius and Lysander.

'But I do know…' Alasdair began hesitantly.

'…I do know that several years later the Chamber of Secrets was opened and a Professor was killed by the Basalisk. And then, soon after, Noirmorter broke out and myself and several other students died. So I assume the events aren't unrelated'

'So, the owner of this necklace…. they might have been the one to kill you?' Lily asked in shock. The thought of it made her feel sick to be wearing it.

'Possibly…' Alasdair murmured. He made to float away towards the Whomping Willow, seeming tired of their conversation and the memory of his own death.

But a thought occurred to Lily and she called out to him, causing him to stop.

'Alasdair! Does this have anything to do with why you asked Scorpius to join us so abruptly?'

Lily thought back to Christmas Day. She had never really understood Alasdair's sudden decision to divulge their plans to Scorpius without really knowing him as well as Lily had grown to.

'I did think that it would be better to have someone with insiders knowledge about his families' history on our side. The Malfoy family past isn't exactly clean in regards to Noirmorter'

'What? What do you mean?' Lily asked in alarm.

'When the 'Black Death' broke out in the fourteenth century, Scorpius's ancestor Nicholas Malfoy was one of the only wizards to have been accused of using Noirmorter against muggles- he was eventually let off by the Wizards' Council so it's a tenuous link, but it's a link all the same. And the fact that he was sent that locket by his grandfather doesn't exactly help to dampen my suspicions that his family has never had anything to do with Noirmorter'

Lily shook her head.

'Scorpius's family run a shop that is bursting with all manner of dark objects- it's probably just a coincidence that it fell into their hands'

'It could be' Alasdair conceded.

'Anyway-' Lily's voice rose in irritation. '-why didn't you tell me all this before? Why let me walk around with this thing on my neck for weeks not knowing what it was?'

Alasdair shrugged.

'Like I said- I thought it was probably a fake. There are hundreds of them out there. Replicas made by Slytherins who wanted the power and privilege associated with being the heir's chosen protector of the Chamber of Secrets. Or made by wizards wanting to earn a few gallons by pawning a fake heirloom'

Lily looked down at the locket again.

'Power and privilege'?

Was that why she felt an intense need to hold onto it? Why she desperately hoped her father wouldn't find out about it and take it from her?

No; she wanted it because she didn't want to give up that feeling she got when she spoke Parseltongue. That feeling of having access to a whole new world of ideas that no one else knew about. That feeling of being in control- of being understood.

She knew she wasn't ready to give that up.

Lily tucked the locket back into her shirt decisively and looked up at Alasdair with determination in her eyes.

'I don't think we should tell Scorpius and Lysander about this… not yet'

Alasdair nodded gravely.

'Agreed'

 

Another moon passed. But this time without any incidents causing any of the trio to ruin their mandrake leaves.

With the possibility of them being able to start the potion brewing process soon, Lily went in search of the dew untouched by human feet or sunlight that they would need for it.

The best place she could think to gather it from was the slope under the wooden bridge where she had spent many evenings back when the school was still hysterically gossiping about the results of the dueling tournament and the food fight she and her brothers had started.

Lily woke early that morning and lay in her bed thinking back for what felt like the hundredth time on the conversation she had had with Alasdair about Scorpius's family's links to Noirmorter. She opened up her pocket watch and whispered to the hands;

'Scorpius- meet me under the bridge when you get up'

She didn't know if he would be awake to get the message or if he'd even remember what bridge she was talking about. But she wanted the chance to talk to him one on one without worrying about what Alasdair might suspect him of.

She trusted that he had nothing to do with Noirmorter and that he hadn't known what the locket was. But she didn't trust that Alasdair wouldn't overthink any tenuous link that Scorpius might Inadvertently divulge if she asked him about his family history in front of him.

Lily had already filled dozens of vials full of dew by the time Scorpius arrived looking very sleepy and perplexed at her sudden request for him to meet her so early in the morning.

'Morning' he mumbled sleepily bending down to take an empty vial off the ground beside her and fill it with some dew hanging off a weed near his feet.

'Full moon tonight' Lily commented lightly.

'I've not forgotten' Scorpius yawned, sleepily pushing a small cork into the vial to seal it.

'We're meeting at midnight at the Whomping Willow right? I'll be glad to finally get this thing out of my mouth'

Lily nodded in agreement, the underside of her tongue was beginning to get a rash from brushing against the rough leaf.

'But I thought you said you wanted to do this alone to lesson the number of feet that might trample over the fresh dew?' Scorpius looked to the side to make eye contact with her. It had been a while since they had spoken together alone. Though it had been the norm for them before, somehow Lily felt nervous.

'I thought it would be better to split these up and carry them between us- you know, just in case I drop them and they get sunlight all over them or something' she muttered defensively.

'Hmm… good idea' Scorpius murmured. 'I don't want to see another mandrake leaf for the rest of my life let alone have to carry one around under my tongue for another month'

They feel into silence as Scorpius yawned and filled more vials and Lily wracked her brains trying to think of how to bring up the topic at hand sensitively.

Deciding that there really was no other way than to just cut to the chase Lily took a deep breath and asked hesitantly;

'Has your family ever mentioned Nicolas Malfoy to you before?'

Scorpius's hands froze and the dew he had been about to scoop into a fresh vial fell to the ground.

'Nicolas Malfoy….' he muttered, in mock thoughtfulness. 'You mean the Nicolas Malfoy who was supposed to have used Noirmorter on muggles- that Nicolas Malfoy?'

Scorpius turned to her with a hard face and a raised eyebrow.

'Yes…' Lily looked down at the grass ashamed that the intention behind her question had been discovered so soon.

Scorpius sighed.

'There's a portrait of him in our house… but the face part is all torn apart. Seems he was disowned'

'Disowned?' Lily asked in surprise. 'For cursing muggles?'

Scorpius shook his head and his lips curled into a wry smile.

'I think it's more likely that he was disowned for having been caught cursing muggles. Malfoys tend to dislike bad press'

'Right…' Lily swallowed hard.

'I know my family doesn't have the best history' Scorpius exhaled, his eyes dropping despondently.

'But I don't think they're cursing people anymore. My father is terrified of anything related to Voldemort or Azkaban these days. You can't even mention the war around him without him running off into another room.'

'And my grandfather- he's hardly left the house since my grandmother died. He's a wreck honestly. He can't get over the fact that our family's reputation is in tatters and he doesn't have any of the power or wealth that he used to have.'

Lily felt a pang of guilt hit her heart. She hadn't meant to make him think that she was suspecting or accusing his family of anything. But she conceded that there was no other way to interpret her curiosity about their past.

'Scorpius… you know I trust you right?' Lily spoke up abruptly.

Scorpius looked up and blinked at her in surprise. She might have had some doubts about his family history and she might have even gone so far as to hallucinate about him becoming a death eater. But she knew that with all her heart, she truly did trust him.

'I guess so' he replied awkwardly.

'So, can I ask you something else?' Lily pressed on nervously.

'Yeah…' He responded carefully.

'Why did you decide to help us try to stop Noirmorter?' Lily burst out.

Scorpius swallowed hard and looked at his hands.

'It was awful seeing you almost die from it… but it's not just about stopping Noirmorter… if I'm honest' he wrung his hands nervously as he spoke.

Lily watched him intently waiting for him to continue. Finally, with a voice laden with emotion he said;

'I want to know what it's like to turn into an animal, like my mother did'

Lily's lips parted. But of course. Why had she never realised- never even thought- that becoming an animagus would have more meaning for Scorpius?

'Father thinks… he thinks she lost her soul when she lost her ability to turn back into a human. But I'm not sure. I don't know…. And I don't know if becoming an animagus will give me any answers- but it might help, you know? Help me to understand what she went through…'

With a sudden wave of sympathy, Lily grabbed a hold of his wrist.

'Yeah, it might' she looked into his eyes, trying to reassure him with a look of certainty in her own.

Scorpius looked back at her thoughtfully before gently extracting his wrist from her grasp and standing up.

'Better hope this works tonight then' he said offhandedly, turning to leave.


End file.
